The Dental Appointment

It was snowing, creating a beautiful but gloomy white landscape outside. Maya sat by the window, sipping a cup of tea while watching the snowflakes fall. Her roommate, Smriti, called her from behind.

“Maya!”

Maya didn’t turn around. “Yes, what happened?”

Smriti approached, wiping tears from her eyes. “That swine yelled at me again.”

Maya looked at her, her big brown eyes wide with curiosity, but she smiled. “Now what?”

Smriti sniffled, clearly upset. “He promised he’d call as soon as he landed in India, but it’s been almost four hours, and he hasn’t even said ‘hi’ to me. So when I called, he yelled at me, saying he was with his family, and then he just disconnected the call.”

Maya and Smriti were roommates in Canada. Maya worked at a software company, while Smriti worked at Costco in sales.

Maya leaned back in her chair, unbothered. “So what’s wrong? You know he’s been away for three years, and now he’s finally spending time with his family. I’m sure he’s not missing you much. You need to understand that.”

With a teasing smile, she got up and headed toward the kitchen. Smriti, already irritated, stormed off to her room. “You’re not helping, Maya!”

The next morning, Maya was working from home when a reminder popped up on her screen: Dental Cleaning Appointment.

“Oh, shit! I almost forgot,” Maya muttered. Getting a dental...