36-hours
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It was the month of November, and the year was 2019. It was the birthday of one of my closest friends. While she resided in Mumbai, having recently started working for a corporate firm, I was in San Diego — studying. Gifts were sent, and messages exchanged of how she held a dear position in my life — but the time difference and a working day meant that we were unable to talk over the phone for longer than two minutes. On the same day, about two hours before her birthday ended, I was surprised to see her message pop-up on my phone. There were telltale signs in her messages that she was having a horrible day — and that led to a half-an-hour conversation over the phone. She was in a new city, around people she had met just a few weeks prior; it was a working day, and office formalities didn't offer her any celebration other than the meet-and-greet birthday wishes! She had planned to reward herself with a dinner at a fancy restaurant with the money, and more importantly the effort th