“This is an amazing year for us. Our Kaavi is getting married, and Fonseka Jewellers is opening its new luxury concept store to be headed by my new son-in-law, who has graciously agreed to take some time off from his well-established businesses to give our new showroom a little boost. Spencer, you and Kaavi together have brought us nothing but joy and luck. I wish you a marriage as long and as successful as mine and Fiona’s. Cheers.”

“If that’s what he wishes her, well, good luck,” muttered Aunty Josephina, as the applause that burst from the crowd left me reeling. Looks like Spence was getting everything he ever wanted. My stomach hardened. That’s not true. Kaavi couldn’t keep him happy for long; there was nothing I was more certain of.

He joined Mr. Fonseka up onstage and shook his hand, and then beckoned for Kaavi to join him as well.

The two of them held hands and beamed and I wanted to close my eyes and die. But still, I couldn’t help but stare at him—his perfectly styled hair, his broad shoulders. He had rolled up his shirtsleeves, and the muscles in his forearms were visible even from where I was sitting. It made it difficult for me to breathe.

I looked at Kaavi, all but glowing, and felt the familiar stirrings of resentment.

People talk about romantic breakups like it’s the worst thing in the world. And it’s true, in a way. When Spencer and I ended, I thought my mangled heart would ooze out all the love I had ever known. That I would never really smile again. And I wasn’t wrong.

Movies are made about romantic breakups. Books are written. Songs are sung about how the sun stops shining and nothing has meaning anymore and how much, no matter how hard you try to drive yourself forward, how much it hurts.

But there’s another type of breakup. The kind that’s not romantic. The kind that happens between friends. There are no movies made about that. Perhaps because the pain is too deep, too profound to even encapsulate.

I couldn’t write a love song for my lost friendship with Kaavi. I’d lamented for Spencer, yes. I mean, I still lament sometimes. But I mourned just as much when I lost my best friend. Am I allowed that? It’s still the same pain of losing someone you loved with all your heart, isn’t it?

But it looked like I was the only one in mourning.

I could try to put it all behind me. Be happy for both of them. But I knew, from the moment I saw Spencer’s smile on Kaavi’s announcement photo, that I could never let that happen.

But I couldn’t dwell on him for much longer because I was accosted by Laura, who squealed like she hadn’t just met me for the first time a few hours ago.

“Amaya, oh god, there you are. Come join the girls for a drink!”

All the aunties at the table raised their eyebrows at this. In Colombo, some women drank. Most women didn’t. But certainly, no one ever admitted to it so openly. At least in their generation.