Just A Friend?

Chapter Twenty-Three

Sweety was lying on her bed in the morning, her phone in hand, staring at the ceiling with a small smile as memories of the evening with Prabhas lingered in her mind. But there was still an uneasiness she couldn't shake. With a sigh, she scrolled through her contacts and found her mother's number. She dialed it, waiting for her mom's familiar voice to answer.

"Hello, darling!" Ramya's cheerful voice came through, instantly bringing a smile to Sweety's face.

"Hi, Ma," Sweety replied, her voice soft but playful. "What are you up to? Still skipping your medicine?"

There was a brief pause on the other end, and Sweety could almost hear her mother's mind racing to come up with an excuse. "W-What? No! I've been good about it!" Ramya stammered, trying to sound convincing.

Sweety chuckled, knowing her mother all too well. "Really? Are you sure, Ma? Because last time, you said the same thing, and then I found out you skipped three doses!"

"Okay, okay!" Ramya huffed, feigning annoyance. "It was just twice this time, not three. And that's not a crime!"

"Uh-huh," Sweety drawled, unconvinced. "You know, Dad once told me a little story about you. Apparently, back when you two were dating, you had a habit of sneaking spoons and forks from restaurants if you liked them. Should I be worried that you're sneaking something else now?"

There was a moment of stunned silence before Ramya gasped. "He told you that? That man! He promised never to mention it!"

Sweety burst into laughter at her mother's indignation. "He also said you got so embarrassed when you got caught that you tried to blame it on the restaurant's poor cutlery quality."

Ramya was flustered now, her voice a mix of embarrassment and playful scolding. "I did no such thing! And for the record, those spoons were really nice! I mean, who could resist?!"

Sweety was having too much fun to let her mother off the hook. "You were such a klepto, Ma! I can't believe you—"

"Ah, what's that? I think the signal is getting weak— Hello?" Ramya interrupted, her voice suddenly distant. "I can barely hear you!"

"Nice try, Ma," Sweety said, shaking her head in amusement. "But I know you too well. So, how's Nassar Appa? Can I talk to him?"

Ramya seemed to relax, glad for the change of subject. "Oh, your uncle's out of town, sweetheart. He called you earlier, but your phone was out of reach."

Sweety felt a pang of disappointment. She had been hoping to talk to Nassar and get his advice about her complicated feelings for Prabhas. Now, that wasn't an option. "Oh... okay. That's too bad," she murmured, her voice tinged with sadness.

Ramya immediately picked up on the shift in her daughter's tone. "What's wrong, Sweety? Did you need to talk to him about something? You know you can always talk to me, right?"

Sweety hesitated for a moment, biting her lip. "It's... it's nothing, Ma. Just a little secret between me and Nassar Appa."

Ramya, never one to let a mystery go unsolved, playfully huffed in mock anger. "A secret? From your own mother? Okay, young lady! if you're not going to tell me your secret, I'm not giving you your Nassar app's overseas number!" Ramya teased, her voice taking on a mock-serious tone. "It's a secret between him and me!"

Sweety rolled her eyes, a fond smile on her face. "Oh, seriously Ramya?"

"Yes, I am serious! What's fair is fair!" Ramya said, sounding all too pleased with herself. As the call ended, Sweety lay back on her bed, her heart a little lighter. Her mother's banter had done wonders to lift her spirits, but the uncertainty still lingered.