[DRAFTING STAGE] "Hi there," she says, her once-over saved for Vaseek alone. "I haven't seen you here in my building." "I'm sorry if we startled you," he says, holding out his hand and tipping his head at Dharman. "I'm a buddy of his." "A buddy," she repeats, shaking his hand. "Yours truly." "Carry on then. I didn't see anything." Vaseek's brows fly up. "Miss, that's not-" "I need to check on the water heater. Goodnight, you two," Helen says, winking at Dharman. This is what he gets for bringing a potential subtenant for an apartment tour in the middle of the night. His first flatmate's suicide a year ago failed to stop the earth from running its course, racking up bills as Dharman holed up all by himself in a two-bedroom apartment. He would have been happy (fine) with the solitude he carved out for himself. His college academic scores soared without distractions. His father had given up on fixing him. Dharman could walk this path with his eyes closed. Save for Thrisha, his closest friend, who refused to let him do that any longer. She pushes Vaseek into his life: winky emojis, a whale-size appetite and frequent gym pictures, the whole package. Dharman has no choice but to open the door for him. He has bills to pay.