𝙁𝙞𝙚𝙧𝙘𝙚 𝙇𝙤𝙫𝙚

Chapter 1 - The unexpected meet (Part 1)

Tiara's Pov

Whoever said that happy days come with bad days attached to them was damn right. It has only been six months since I got my job, and trouble is already knocking at my door.

A water pipe broke down, flooding a few apartments in my building, but luckily mine remained safe-or we can say dry. However, now the entire building possibly needs renovation, and that is where the problem arises.
I have been away from my home for the last five years except for the occasional guest visits.

My home has been this apartment for the last two years. I moved here during my last year of college due to some issues in the hostel. I paid the rent with assistance from my parents and, for the most part, through my paid internship. Now I cover the expenses with the salary from my job.

The building is good, but it's a little aged. Therefore, the recent incident was quite possible, and that's why the owner wants renovation probably. Now, I either have to look for a place to stay for a few months or go back to my home, which is not possible. I have my job here, which is a significant reason I can't leave this place. Also, I can't go back there after such a long fight to leave that place, which was just a home by name to me. So, I called the only person who understands me and my problems more than I can.

As soon as she picked up the phone, I said, "Emergency. Meet me at our usual place at 7:30 pm after the office." Before she could ask me more questions, I cut the call. Shruti and I have been best friends since our college days. I have always been unlucky in friendships, but from the day I met her, I knew I was getting lucky. This girl knows me like she was always there - a cheerleader at my lowest points and a friend not just to me but also to the child version of me. I am grateful for her every day. I got ready for the office and left with hopes of coming back with a solution.

After finishing my office hours, I took an Uber and reached our usual cafe, where we always used to go after college. I opened the door and saw Shruti sitting there with her face buried in her phone. She is a gorgeous woman. With her kindness and beauty, she could capture any man's heart, and she did. She is in a relationship with her high school love, and they seem quite happy, but I doubt it sometimes.

I go to our table and sit down. "Love your eyes and brain a little more and stop being on your phone all the time," I said.

"What do you expect me to do after being late for 15 minutes, huh?" she replied while putting her phone down.

"Look around, and you'll see how people work without a phone always attached to their eyes," I teased her.

"Now shut up and tell me what the emergency is. I have been overthinking the whole thing just because of that one call of yours," she said, genuinely concerned.

"Okay, so listen, but wait, before that, I missed you," I said, smiling like a baby.

"So you didn't miss me; never mind. Now the emergency is that most probably I will be homeless soon."

"Details, please, Drama queen."

"A water pipe broke down and flooded a few apartments, so now maybe the building will be renovated, and I can't go home, you know, and I have no other place to go," I explained to her.
"You have my place, remember, huh?" She questioned.

"I can't, Shri. It's not like you stay alone; you stay with your whole family, and I just can't barge in like that."

"We already had this discussion once, Tia. You are like family to me, and you can always barge in because you will always have a place in my house. Also, you know how much my family loves you."