Chapter 9

Shanaya glanced at the invitation on her desk, bearing the details of Neil's art exhibition. He had done the formality of sending her an invite—almost as a taunt—even though a verbal invitation would have worked.

Her cousin had worked tirelessly to prepare for this event, pouring his heart and soul into his creations. She had seen the updates he had posted on social media over the days, promoting the exhibition and posting snippets of his art-making process. But as she pondered whether or not to attend, a sense of hesitation crept over her.

She had missed so many of Neil's previous exhibitions due to her demanding schedule. Every time, she promised herself that she would make it up to him next time, only to find herself caught in the whirlwind of her own commitments once again. Or in her emotions. Because attending art exhibitions meant facing a part of her life she had been trying to ignore. However, something felt different this time. She realized that she couldn't keep using her