A fellow reader (Dee_J) read this story in a couple of hours and challenged me to follow suit. Always itching to win a bet, I took it up. 2 hours (and not even halfway into the story) later, I waved the white flag
The subject of morality stood out to me because of how you have incorporated it into the story. Even the staunchest person would let go off his/her values when it comes to blood relations. Not just because blood triumphs over everything else (haven't we had enough instances of that?), but also because the repercussions of siding with your moral compass can haunt you all your life, like they did for Arnav
I loved Arnav's character for the layers that you gave him (considering this was not a 'long' FF). His angst could very well have been categorized as self-pity, but you managed to keep it intact very well. After all, it is only the person who goes through an experience, knows that he has come out of it completely and irreversibly changed. Even his equation with his friends is marvelling. I wondered if his relationship with Lavanya was more because she loved him (right from the beginning) and had no relevance to whether he felt the same. Also, the scene with Aman when he lets his friend have that one moment which he has been pining for for years was extremely touching
Khushi's marital experience was a reminder of why the people you surround yourself with are important. Friends, family...they either make you a complete human being or chip off bits and pieces until you no longer recognize the person you have become. Khushi's case might have been extreme, but there are so many women out there who change beyond recognition just because adaptation is their responsibility
One never had a complaint about your ability to etch out secondary characters. This one was even better since I looked out to Aman or Anjali's presence more than Arnav or Khushi's.
I've liked all your stories; but this one is just on a different level. The reason I gave up on the above-mentioned bet was because I couldn't rush through the brilliance that the writing is. And I can understand when you said that this story took a toll on you; if it has a profound impact on the reader, one can only imagine what it must have been for the writer
P.S. What's the story behind the title?
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