The Gas Station

Smriti entered the flat, flicked on the light, and scanned the room. Maya was still on a conference call.

"You're still working? It's 8:30 PM!" Smriti whispered, her voice carrying a mix of surprise and disbelief.

Maya barely looked up, nodding with a strained expression that suggested she was long past the point of enjoying her job. She mumbled something in agreement, her eyes glued to the screen.

Smriti, already heading to her room, muttered a half-hearted, "Okay then," and shut the door behind her.

Almost 20 minutes later, just as Smriti was about to scroll through her phone, the sound of Maya's phone ringing broke the silence. It was Dona from the dental clinic.

"Hey, Maya, it's Dona. Just calling to remind you about your outstanding payment, and also, when will you be picking up your health card?" the voice on the other end asked.

"Ah, sorry, Dona, I was caught up today. Could you email me the invoice? I’ll pay it right away. Thanks!" Maya replied quickly, trying to get back to her work.

A few minutes later, Maya knocked on Smriti's door, her face full of exhaustion.

"Hey, could you do me a favor?" Maya asked, pushing the door open slightly. "I have to head to the Mississauga office tomorrow for a team meeting. The new CEO is coming in, and I need to be there."

Smriti, half-focused on her Instagram feed, raised an eyebrow. "And you need me to help you with what exactly?"

Maya sighed. "Could you visit the Smile Dental Clinic and pick up my health card? I’m too swamped."

Smriti mockingly raised her eyebrows, remembering something from the day before. "Remember how you laughed at me yesterday when I came to you about...