The book was Dil Ki Dhadkan – a Hindi romantic novel by an obscure author. The pages were bloated with rain, but the title was still readable. I laughed. A dog bringing me a love story? How ironic, considering I had just broken up with my girlfriend.

“Because a kutte (dog) once ripped my heart out,” Riya replied, grinding coffee beans with unnecessary force.

The actress shared a deeply emotional real-life account of being bitten by a dog (getting 121 stitches) and how it affected her self-image and career, which is often discussed in "story" format online.

"I thought you left," I whispered, my heart hammering a frantic rhythm against my ribs.

A dog looking guilty next to a pile of romance novels.