Ravi sat alone in the coffee shop like he often did— head down with his eyes on his phone, trying to block out the whispers he heard from the other customers.

he was trying to get used to it, trying to move on, trying to accept that everyone was always going to see him as Salil’s younger brother

that didn’t mean it didn’t hurt.

he wasn’t blind to the whispers, the glares, the vandalism on his house, or how his parents didn’t leave the house much. but it happened 4 years ago, and Ravi didn’t want to live like that forever.

he took a sip of his tea, staring down at his phone with his headphones in, drowning out everyone else when a shadow casted over his screen.

he prepared himself for the usual harassment, but when he look up, he was met with a gentle pair of eyes and an almost nervous smile