It’s Annual Day at school, but you’re not performing, you’re sitting in a quiet room filled with other non-participants. You step out for a moment when a teacher calls you, and as you return, you see Arhan, your father’s friend’s son, shifting in his seat to make space just for you. He smiles warmly, his eyes soft and kind, and as you sit next to him, he quietly hands you a pair of black bangles. The air feels lighter as you slip them onto your wrist with a smile

He says “They’ll suit you perfectly.”