Starting as a joke—an offhand comment during their weekend hangouts at the local coffee shops—the five of them decided to perform at an open mic that was only meant for them. It was Maya, the quiet one with a penchant for writing poetry that no one ever read, who had casually suggested this activity just for fun. “You know, we all have different talents, but what would happen if we got together to perform our open mic at the coffee shop?” Bursting into laughter, her friends gazed at one another after Maya suggested this. The group was a mix of five different personalities – Aarav , who was the spontaneous one and was always up for anything; Sanya – the perfectionist who couldn’t even sing in the shower without rehearsing, Arjun – the jokestar who’d never been seen without his guitar; and Shruti , – the performer who always had a bold idea brewing. “Yeah, sure, let’s all embarrass ourselves publicly”, Aarav t...
It had been four years since the six had been in the same room. Life, as it does, has swept each one in a different direction – new jobs, new relationships, new cities, and the inevitable time barriers that distance imposes. So when they all were in the same city, and Mia had suggested a potluck dinner, everyone immediately agreed that this idea of gathering together for dinner over laughter, memories and fun was the perfect excuse to reconnect. They chose Mia’s apartment. It was a cosy one-bedroom-hall apartment with soft pink-coloured walls and a spacious kitchen – a place that she had dreamed of having but only recently could afford. The preparations for the evening had begun one day prior, with Mia preparing hot chocolate by melting two rather large chocolate bars, which curdled up to make one of the richest and creamiest hot chocolate mixes. This was the only preparation to be made as all friends had suggested that they would all bring one dish for dinner. ...