🌸 22nd Chapter Snippet: The Friend Who Stayed Only When Needed

There was a friend — Jaanu.

To Janani, she was more than a classmate. She was someone worth breaking rules for, someone worth standing up to her parents for. When Jaanu needed help — during exams, during illness — Janani was always there. She cared, she showed up, she made time.

But when Janani needed a friend, silence answered her.

The same Jaanu who once promised to be together through thick and thin slowly stepped back, quietly, without explanation. Even when Janani’s parents said a big no to her outing, it turned into a yes because Jaanu was coming. That’s how much trust Janani had.

Yet, when it came time to shift, Jaanu moved away — not just from the place, but from the friendship too. No words, no closure. Just distance.

💭 Psychological Reflection:

Janani’s experience mirrors what many people go through — friendships that are conditional. When emotional labor flows only one way, it leads to attachment fatigue and self-blame.

Such bonds teach people like Janani to suppress needs, to overgive, and to equate silence with peace.

Through Janani’s story, readers can learn that boundaries are not selfish — they are survival.