Friend Suggestion

Sia's phone beeped with a notification. She unlocked it to check and held it for a while in confusion. "What happened?" Kaya asked. "My therapist sent me a friend suggestion", Sia answered sounding distracted. Kaya was gaping at her with this casual revelation. It took a while for Sia to grasp Kaya's reaction. She explained, "It was a long time back. I was having recurring dreams of some childhood trauma which was very disturbing. I couldn't connect the dots hence had to see a therapist." She paused for a while but seemed like Kaya wanted her to spill more beans, so she continued. 

"I got separated from my family in a stampede when I was 2. In my dream all I used to see that someone was trying to hold my hand tightly but I fell on the ground, then somebody picked me up and took me in the opposite direction. The sound of me calling out my mother was deafening, even in my dreams. I had no idea what this dream was about until I spoke to my parents. The truth was a bit disturbing, but the therapy helped" Sia concluded with a smile. Kaya placed her hand on Sia's, "I am sorry you had to go through all that alone". "Not your fault, I wasn't ready to share this with anyone", Sia said with a consoling smile. 

"So what was that friend suggestion about?", Kaya circled back the topic. "I don't know, I'll have to call her and check". Sia started typing a text:

Hi Trish, Long time :) Hope things are going well! 

I was hoping to talk to you about the friend suggestion which you sent.

Sia's phone rang immediately, it was Trish. "Hey, Sia! Thank God you remember me". "How could I not? You have made a significant difference in my life," Sia's energy level shot up instantly. "I was wondering if you could come down to my office tomorrow, I can explain it to you over a coffee. Will that work for you?" Trish ended bit hesitantly. "Sounds like a plan, I'll meet you tomorrow morning for a coffee". "Great thanks! Will see you tomorrow then. Bye, take care". 

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Sia was both anxious and excited as if going to meet a long lost friend. She wasn't wrong, Trish gave her a tight hug on seeing her, just like old friends do. "So to what do I owe you a visit?" Sia asked after some casual talk. Trish blinked her eyes and smiled, Sia had named it her "Twinkle Star Smile". "Sia, in my profession I have to maintain client confidentiality, but I am going to breach that today for the greater good. The person whom I suggested as a friend needs some help and I think you are the one who can help him" Trish paused for a while. "I am not sure I am following". 

Trish continued, "I remember you telling me during a session that you lost your diary on a city bus tour. I might be wrong, but this person found a diary on a city bus tour. The diary has an incomplete story, and that incomplete ending has given him a lot of anxiety, the anxiety of such an extent that he had to see me. I think that diary belongs to you. I know this is an odd ask, but if by any chance it is your diary and you have an end to the story, it can help someone." 

Sia took some time to sink all the information. She wanted to help but didn't know-how. The incomplete story was about her dream and her finding her way back to her family. The only missing piece was 'how', she would have written it only if she knew. What bothered her was that why this story's ending was so important for a stranger.

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"Thank you for seeing me", Sia greeted Artav. "I won't beat around the bush, I understand that you are looking for the end of a story from my diary, frankly I do not have the ending, but why is that end so important to you? " Sia asked. Artav sighed and said " Your story is the story of my life, I lost my sister just as described in the story. All this while I have been just trying to figure out how can I find her, somehow I felt that the ending of this story could be my happy ending. I thought the story's end could explain to me how to find my sister". Artav found Sia lost in thoughts. He tapped the table slightly and said, " I am sorry I dragged you into this, but if you had to write an end, what would it have been? How does the family reunite?". "Friend Suggestion," Sia fumbled.