I am SO GODDAMN LATE with this update but the US election kinda took over my life. There were also midterms that I was battling for 3 weeks but more importantly, US shit was important for my future y'know? But I'm pretty happy with what they called. ANyways, here's making up for not giving y'all anything for almost 2 weeks. This and the next one focuses on a few people whose characters were not given justice.

-Neha and Vicky-

It was tough to see him so sad and broken up in the aftermath of that day. Vicky was hurting and there was nothing she could do to help him. She approached his seat on the couch slowly, and wrapped her arms loosely around his neck, "Sad I know my babu is being because leaving Taani is."

"Yeah Neha, I'm upset. She was my best friend. How could she just leave? Did all this time spent with us mean so little to her? My best friend Neha! My best-" his voice trailed off into a whisper and his head collapsed into his hands. Her arms tightened around him, bringing his head back to rest in the crook of her neck.

"Taani and Vicky, best friends. But Taani Neha's friend too. Her leaving is hurting Neha too. Just like babu sad, kagu also feels sad. Bad we all are doing to Taani and now going away from us she is. But babu see, one day, getting to apologize we is and Taani is forgiving us."

"Will she, Neha? Will she? Let's take a look at what all we've done shall we? We taunted her for being a non-dancer, we belittled her ability when she showed us she could dance, when the whole Shivan debacle happened, even I gave her a wide berth. I promised to be there for her, promised to support her, and even I abandoned her like Swayam did. I abandoned her to support stupid schemes and plans. I left my little sister in favor of boys who on good days don't know their left from their right. Taani was right. Friends are great, but at the end of the day, your family, chosen or birth, are the only ones who will support you and stand by you. You're my family Neha. You're my other half. Taani was, is, my best friend and little sister, Swayam, my older brother and Sharon, my bhabhi by proxy and Rey. Rey has been my best friend since we were kids. So HOW? How could we just abandon her like this?" His eyes glazed over as he got lost in his memories.

*Flashback*

A boy was directed to the seat next to him by their teacher. New boy, in the middle of the school year. That was an unusual occurrence. The teacher then introduced him "Reyaansh, this is Vicky. And Vicky dear, this is Reyaansh. His family just moved into town. Can I trust you to look after him and show him the ropes?"

His eyes widened of their own accord. This was a big responsibility, and if he did well, Mrs S might just talk his parents into letting him join the after-school dance club. He nodded his head frantically and turned to the boy seated next to him. "Hi, I'm Vicky. Technically my name is Vikramjeet, but that's a mouthful, so I go by Vicky."

A shy voice answered back, "I'm Reyaansh. But you can call me Rey, i-if you want."

"Okay! Rey it is! Nice to meet you Rey! By the end of today, you'll be a guaranteed expert on the school and its people."

*End Flashback*

That was the start of a beautiful friendship that had lasted all through school and to college. Over a decade of being friends and today, he couldn't even recognize the man his best friend had become. The man who had taught him how to ask his first crush out on a date, the one who had offered his TV room for said date so he could tell his father and her father that they were only going to Rey's house for a while. How could he be so cruel and crude to the girl he called the love of his life?