Part 1: An Unlikely Meeting
Nidhi had been craving a break from her routine. After months of legal battles and emotionally exhausting days, she decided to treat herself to a movie. The film Parched was screening, and she was intrigued—anything that celebrated women and freedom caught her attention.
The theater was dimly lit, the soft hum of chatter dying down as the trailers began to roll. That’s when Nidhi noticed her. A woman sitting a few rows ahead, completely absorbed in the movie, had an air of quiet intensity. Their eyes met briefly—an almost imperceptible exchange of acknowledgment, a shared moment that passed like a breeze. Nidhi didn’t think much of it then, but she had no idea that this encounter would soon change her life.
Later that week, Nidhi attended an art workshop led by a famous local artist. She had been trying her hand at painting, more as therapy than art, pouring her emotions into each brushstroke. As she set up her easel, she saw her again—the woman from the theater. She recognized the same intensity in her gaze, but this time, the woman approached her.
“Mind if I sit here?” she asked with a half-smile, her voice soft yet confident.
Nidhi nodded. “Please.”
“I’m Suma,” the woman said, extending her hand.
“Nidhi.”
They exchanged pleasantries, but the conversation quickly deepened. The surface-level discussions about art morphed into confessions about life, relationships, and the weight of societal expectations. By the time they left the workshop, they had already decided to continue their conversation over coffee at a nearby art café.
Part 2: Coffee, Art, and Revelations
The café was a cozy haven, its walls adorned with quirky paintings and plants hanging from the ceiling. They picked a corner table, hidden from the world, as if this new friendship needed the protection of anonymity.
Suma, sipping her coffee, broke the silence. “So, how’s life been?”
Nidhi chuckled darkly. “Divorce final yesterday. Anniversary, actually. Got congratulatory messages from friends who had no clue what’s been happening.”
Suma raised an eyebrow. “Did you reply?”
“To one. Told them I’m divorced. They didn’t even bother responding after that.” Nidhi laughed, though the laugh didn’t reach her eyes. “I guess they didn’t know what to say.”
Suma nodded, her eyes soft with understanding. “People never know what to say when things don’t fit the ‘happy’ narrative.”
Nidhi took a sip of her coffee, savoring the bitter taste. “You’re not wrong. It’s like we’re expected to grieve quietly and move on without making anyone uncomfortable. But I’m done with that. I’ve decided I’m going to live for me now.”
That statement marked the start of a candid conversation between the two. They found comfort in each other’s pain, but more importantly, in their shared determination to break free from societal expectations. They spoke of art, relationships, and freedom. Nidhi’s adventurous spirit began to inspire Suma, who, though more cautious, found herself drawn to Nidhi’s openness.
Part 3: Foodies with a Twist
As they grew closer, Nidhi and Suma discovered their shared love for food, not just as sustenance but as an experience. They began attending wedding parties—uninvited. Their philosophy? Why miss out on the best food around just because you don’t know the bride and groom?
At first, Suma hesitated. “Are you sure this is a good idea?”
Nidhi laughed, already grabbing her purse. “What’s the worst that could happen? We get kicked out? Fine, we leave. But until then, we eat. And trust me, it’s worth it.”
The first wedding they crashed was a grand affair—fairy lights draped over trees, tables groaning under the weight of traditional Kerala dishes, the smell of spices and roasted coconut wafting through the air. They blended in, smiling at strangers, laughing when no one was looking. They filled their plates with every delicacy they could find—biryani, payasam, kappa, meen curry—and savored each bite as though it were their last.
“This,” Suma said, between bites of fish fry, “is freedom.”
Nidhi grinned. “Exactly. No rules. No expectations. Just us, good food, and the world outside our door.”
This became their thing—an adventurous, rebellious take on life that fueled their friendship. Wedding crashing wasn’t about the food anymore; it was about taking life into their own hands, stepping out of the boxes they had been forced into for so long.
Part 4: Unconventional Escapes
Their escapades extended beyond food. They found thrill in traveling to the most unconventional places, where they could escape the pressure of being “proper.” In a secluded beach town, they rented a small house overlooking the ocean, where they sat for hours on the sand, sipping cheap wine, discussing art, love, and life’s mysteries.
Art : Varsha Menon (Author)
One night, as the waves crashed against the shore, Nidhi mentioned a young man she had met. “He’s 24. Doesn’t know a thing about intimacy, but boy, does he make me laugh. We spent the whole night talking about everything and nothing.”
Suma smiled. “Sounds refreshing.”
“It is,” Nidhi said. “I don’t want anything complicated anymore. Just moments. Fleeting, beautiful moments.”
Part 5: Reflections in the Rearview Mirror
Suma, though she enjoyed these adventures, couldn’t shake her introspective nature. As she drove through the city one afternoon, she noticed a young couple kissing in the park. She instinctively looked away, a knot forming in her chest. The moment transported her back in time—she and her ex-husband had once shared such a kiss, filled with the promise of forever.
She switched off the music in her car, her face growing serious. “How naive we were,” she muttered under her breath. But instead of drowning in melancholy, she steered her thoughts back to the present. The kiss wasn’t hers to mourn anymore. It was just another transient moment, like many others that had come and gone.
Part 6: A New Chapter Begins
Nidhi, now an Uber driver in the evenings, found herself fascinated by the people she met. Each ride brought new stories—some heartwarming, some heartbreaking, all deeply human. She shared these stories with Suma, who listened intently, always eager to hear about the lives of strangers.
One night, after a long shift, Nidhi sat with Suma on the balcony of her small studio apartment. The city buzzed below them, a reminder of the endless noise of life.
“Sometimes I think driving people around has taught me more about life than anything else,” Nidhi mused, sipping her tea.
Suma smiled. “Maybe because you’re finally seeing life for what it is—messy, unpredictable, but always moving forward.”
Part 7: Friendship and Freedom
Their friendship wasn’t built on the easy stuff—it was forged in the quiet moments of shared struggle, in the spaces where the world told them they weren’t enough. But Nidhi and Suma knew better. Divorce didn’t break them, it unraveled the stories they no longer needed to live by. Together, they rewrote the script.
As they wandered through uninvited wedding feasts, laughing and sampling life’s chaos, they understood something profound. The victory wasn’t in what they had left behind; it was in who they had become, sitting across from each other, unburdened, free to live without apology.
COVER: JYOTHIS PARAVOOR