*November 27th**—Vikram’s birthday. This morning, I drafted a "happy birthday" text, but I didn't send it. We met as kids at a family gathering. Our childhood was fun; every time we met, it was a blast. We used to see each other at every family event. After a few years, we became serious about our academics, and our paths diverged. Somehow, we lost touch, our worlds became different, and we both moved to separate cities. I can say we may have completely forgotten each other. Years later, in 2020, the world stood still. Everyone was unsure about what tomorrow would bring, and we all started looking backward. Life was stuck; it was hard to imagine living without social media scrolling. I know the lockdown and the virus changed many lives in different ways. It took lives, created distance between some people, and gave second chances to many others who were looking for them. It cast its own strange spell on all of us. One day, while I was mindlessly scrolling through Instagr...
As usual, I was running late to the office. I booked a Rapido and started my way to the metro station. I paid the driver while reaching the station, jumped off, and ran inside without even thanking him. On the platform, the display showed just one minute for the metro’s arrival. I stood in line, pulled my headphones from my bag, connected them to my phone, and opened Spotify. The metro arrived, and the only good thing so far was that I found a seat. In the rush hour, that’s a rare win. My journey takes about 45 minutes every day, and getting a seat feels almost like a prize. Music played in my ears as I scrolled through my phone. My feet tapped anxiously — I was running late, and my mind was already occupied with the presentation I had to give at the office. Suddenly, the music stopped. At first, I thought it was a Bluetooth issue, so I reconnected. But nothing. Then I checked my phone — no balance left. I needed to recharge. *Perfect.* Another reminder that today wasn’t my day. I took...