The silence comes before the distance
You notice it first in small things. He used to tell you when the EMI cleared. He used to complain about the auto fare going up, about his boss, about the client who paid late. Then one month he just stops. The bills still get paid, or they don't, but either way he says nothing. You ask and he says fine. You ask again and he says don't worry. The third time you don't ask, because you've learned that asking makes him smaller in a way that frightens you both.
