dead girls don't love [dgdl]

chapter 13 \b

THE BEST THING ABOUT FRIENDSHIP is that it barely becomes a curse. Sweet and sour as imli is what friendship is. It holds you.

It forms you. It is the most flexible relationship in the world. If one has found a true friend, they have cracked the shackles of life halfway already.

Because they always have the person to go back to, to reach out.

Rishika was this friend for Ashna.

Her best friend.

Even if they did not meet much now, even when the talks were less, Rishika had become an unbreakable part of her life. They both knew that no matter where they were, what they were doing in life, no matter how many things changed, this, between them, was remaining the same. It could get better, but never worse.
If there ever were to be forever, this was going to be it.

Seventh grade. That was when Ashna first reached out to Rishika. For an English book. That was the beginning. They grew from friends to good friends and in the tenth class, they felt like they were sisters. Connected to never be apart. That's when they became best friends.

Ashna always laughed at how she had ever considered any other person as her best friend in the past. They would always tease each other and they would always be there for each other.

Rishika barely had time now. Studies took her out of the city and dreams kept her there. They still called and talked but meetings were minimal. One of those minimal meeting days was today. Ashna needed it after today's morning.

Her eyes had made sense of anything much later. Her ears have known it first. Ashna's mother was complaining to her father as to how she did not come to the house in the evening yesterday when Ramya's sister's son and wife had come home.

"Even when I made numerous calls, Asmita was asking about her -" Ramya was saying. Ashna had only given excuses. As she was going to do today too.

Numerous times the thought to tell her mother everything about the haunted night had crossed her mind. Before, she did not remember the exact things to explain or better to say, to believe even herself. But when it was really struck upon her, the ugliness of the truth kept her mouth locked.

Also, the fact that Ashna's mother loved that man. And even when Ashna knew that man's words were lies, "You know maasi loves me more - she won't believe you, she will believe me-", she was afraid what if he was right.

Maybe it was good her father was defending her based on Ashna's lies about studies and the extra lectures she had fed her mother.

He did not like the man anyways, just kept the decency of his relationship with her family. But the drama had Ashna hear his name, again and again, her mind daunting demons as they were told. She needed to get away from them.

And Rishika came at the perfect time.

No, she usually never was there at the exact times Ashna needed her. It was irritating, really. Every time Ashna was in a pit, Rishika somehow was not there.

But just the thought that she would have stood for Ashna if she were there and that she was always with her no matter what, this thought only kept Ashna going. This never meant that she did not complain about her untimely entries to Rishika.

Smiles never had to be forced with her, they came themselves just from the look of hers, as one pretty smile grazed Ashna's lips, eyes crinkling a little when they found Rishika, a tanned frail, rail-like slim figure clad in baggy jeans and fit top, standing at the corner of the tiraha, her expression grim as if lost in a place she had no idea of.