Maya said on the cold balcony as the street lights flicker on. Her thumb however over her phone screen steering at the same message she had read a hundred times."I'm sorry. I can't do this anymore."it was from Arjun- her best friend since childhood.
They had grown up in the same neighbourhood, shared the same jokes, the same dreams.But the last few months had been heavy. Arjun had lost his father, then he is job. Every time he talked about quitting. Maya laughed it off - until that message.
Her heart beat fast. A sudden ding on WhatsApp. It wasn't a new message- it was an old forward from Arjun from months ago:" Remember, you are stronger than you think." She is tired at it, confused. Then her phone buzzed again- a missed call from an unknown number. Har stomach dropped. She died back.
"Is this the hospitals?" He wispered when a tired voice answered.
"Yes,is Arjun's family there?" the nurse asked.
"What happened?" Maya's voice shook.
"Arjun was found on the streets this morning. He... He had a bad reaction to medication. We tried, but...."
Maya could not hear the rest.
The phone sleep from her hand. The balcony lights dance while the noise of the city hammed below.
Hours later, she found a note in Arjun's backpack- not the one from that night, but a different one she had never seen.
"Maya - if you are reading this, then maybe things looked wars than they work. I needed help more than I told you. I am trying again. Please don't give up on me".
Her breath hitcjed as another message popped up. Not from WhatsApp - from Instagram.
Arjun.
"I needed to say sorry. I forget how to ask for help. Love you always."
She blink until her eyes ached.
Some losses hit like thunder. But some- like Arjun's last words - were shadows of something unfinished. Maya's phone buzzed again.
This time, it was a text from her little brother: "Mom says come home."
Home. She stood up.
The city lights didn't feel so have anymore.