Incredulity pitched Geeta’s voice higher. “What invites?” Preity raised a painted hand. “I invited you over for Navratri.” “And you never came to our Holi party.” Priya shrugged. “After a while we just stopped trying. It was clear you didn’t like us.” Geeta had assumed the invites were a perfunctory social convention at best, and a trap designed to humiliate her at worst. Memories of her walking back home from Deepa-aunty’s house, alone and covered in garbage, kept her in hiding long after Ramesh had disappeared. It was the same reason she’d refused to believe Arhaan today when he’d insisted
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