The door creaked open behind me, and I knew it was Ratika without looking. She walked over, her bare feet silent on the cool tiles. "Hey," she said softly, her voice tentative.
"Hey," I responded, turning to face her. She looked at me with wide eyes, and I knew she had a question that was burning inside her. "What's up?"
"Umm. Liya asked me about you. She wants to know if you're okay," Ratika said, her eyes cast downward, fidgeting with the hem of her shirt.
"Liya?" I echoed, surprised. "What does she want?"
"Well, she just said that she needs to talk to you about something important," Ratika replied, her eyes darting around as if searching for an escape route from the conversation.
I nodded thoughtfully, "Okay, I'll go to her place tomorrow." It was clear Ratika was uncomfortable being the messenger, and I appreciated her effort in trying to bridge the gap between her friend and me.
