Though I didn’t get to see him during the day, every night I went to sleep thinking about the following morning when we would meet again. It was almost magical. I left for college every morning in a great mood. At the same time, it was as if I was waiting for the other shoe to drop.

We didn’t have any more of those moments again and I was disappointed because it confirmed my theory about it being a figment of my imagination. We laughed a lot and sometimes, when it was just the two of us, sitting on the park bench and talking, I’d feel all those years and that anger melt away, making me wish I hadn’t wasted all that time not talking to him.

We exchanged phone numbers and whenever he was free during the day, he would send me funny memes and I would hunt around for one to send back to him. This had become our thing now. I’d seen Nisha give me a knowing look whenever she spotted me texting him, but thankfully, she didn’t say anything. I wasn’t ready yet to label our relationship.

The reunion party was happening that night and Raghu had taken the day off. I was also home since it was Saturday and Ma had been after me to clean the house properly along with Meena Akka.

Everyone was in an irritable mood. Papa was harrumphing around the house, muttering to himself about Aunty V’s hare-brained ideas and Aunty V was snapping back at him whenever she heard him mutter her name.

When I was done cleaning the house, Ma informed me that the party was going to happen in the garden outside because of the ‘sultry weather’. Her words, not mine.

‘What? Why did you make me clean the house then?’ I asked, pushing the sweaty strands of hair from my face. My t-shirt had wet blotches on the back.

‘Because people will come inside the house too!’ Ma replied. ‘I mean, they’ll come inside to use the restroom or . . . you never know.’

Shaking my head, I rushed to my room to quickly shower. I changed into another t-shirt and I tugged on a pair of shorts. Then I stopped. I wore shorts when I exercised in my room and sometimes, very rarely, when I sat outside with Ma and Papa, who didn’t think anything of it. I was suddenly self-conscious of wearing shorts with Raghu and Aunty V around.

I stared at my body in the mirror. I was not Fat Ananya from before. But I wasn’t Skinny Ananya either. I squeezed my eyes shut and opened them again. I didn’t look weird, so Raghu wouldn’t laugh at me. I doubt he’d even notice me, since he’d be busy cooking. I took a deep breath and walked to the kitchen.