The Google Doc Symbol in Hani and Ishu's Guide to Fake Dating

What the Google Doc Is and How It Works in the Story

The Google Doc titled Hani and Ishu's Guide to Fake Dating is a shared digital document that Hani creates in chapter nine when she and Ishu agree to fake-date. It is a literal Google Docs file that Hani opens on her laptop, types a title into, and shares with Ishu's email address. The document records the fabricated origin story of their relationship—Started dating 2 weeks ago: after hanging out together at Bengali dawats—and a numbered list of rules governing the arrangement.

Hani's stated reason for creating the document is practical: If we write down our lies, then we won't get caught. She frames it as a way to keep their story consistent. The doc functions as a script, a shared reference point that both girls can consult to keep their performance aligned. It is also a contract: the rules codify the terms of their arrangement, including that they can't tell anyone the truth, that they'll break up when Ishu becomes Head Girl and Hani's friends accept her, and that Ishu will be the one to end things.

The creation scene reveals a lot about both characters. Hani is the one who insists on doing things properly, who wants to control the narrative. Ishu is initially dismissive—she shrugs and says Make something up. I'll go along with it. But she also contributes to the rules, insisting on boundaries and asking practical questions about how long the relationship will last and who breaks up with whom. The doc is a collaborative artifact from the start, even if the collaboration is reluctant.

The Doc as Script and Contract

The document does double duty. On one hand, it is a script for their performance—it tells them what to say about how they met, how long they've been together, and what their relationship looks like. On the other hand, it is a contract that defines the boundaries of their arrangement. The rules are explicit and negotiated, with Ishu pushing back on details like who breaks up with whom. This makes the doc a tangible artifact of their transactional agreement.

The doc also becomes a site of emotional leakage. In chapter twenty-seven, Hani admits that she keeps opening the guide, scrolling through it, always wondering about what it would be like if all of this were real and not pretend. The doc, which was meant to be a tool for managing a lie, becomes a space where Hani's genuine feelings start to surface. She hasn't added anything to it since the day on the Luas, but she can't stop reading it.

The Breach: Nik's Access

The doc's meaning shifts dramatically when Hani notices that Nikhita Dey has been added as a viewer. In chapter twenty-seven, Hani sees an orange N appear at the top of the screen and discovers the doc is Shared with: Ishita Dey and Nikhita Dey. This transforms the doc from a private script into a potential weapon. In chapter twenty-nine, Hani confronts Ishu, and they both realize that with just one click, someone can undo everything that we've been working toward. The doc becomes a source of anxiety, a vulnerability that threatens to expose their lie.

The breach also deepens the connection between Hani and Ishu. When Hani confronts Ishu, Ishu insists she didn't share it on purpose, and Hani realizes she believes her. The crisis forces them to work together, and Ishu notes that it is nice that I'm not dealing with this on my own. The doc, which was supposed to keep their relationship fake, becomes the thing that brings them closer.

The Doc as History

In chapter thirty-two, Ishu suggests deleting the document, but the idea makes her feel a little hollow inside. She reflects that the fake dating guide might be filled with evidence of our lie, but it also feels like a history of us. This is a key moment: the doc has begun to mean more than its original purpose. It is no longer just a script or a contract—it is a record of the relationship that has developed between Hani and Ishu, even if that relationship started as a performance.

The Doc in the Resolution

In chapter forty-nine, at the barbecue, Ishu pulls out her phone and opens the fake dating guide to verify their timeline for Aisha. She uses the doc to explain that they technically started dating six weeks ago but that it was fake, and that their fake dating led to real feelings about three weeks later. Here the doc serves as evidence of their journey—a timeline that confirms the transition from performance to authenticity. The awkward first-date photo becomes proof of how far they've come.

Character Connections

For Hani, the doc is a tool for managing her social performance. She creates it because she can't afford to be caught in a lie—her friends Aisling and Dee already question her bisexuality, and she needs the fake relationship to prove herself. The doc is her way of controlling the narrative. But it also becomes a space where her real feelings surface, as when she finds herself scrolling through it and wondering what it would be like if the relationship were real.

For Ishu, the doc is initially something she tolerates for the sake of her Head Girl campaign. She is reluctant to engage with it, but over time it becomes meaningful to her. Her attachment to the doc—her unwillingness to delete it—reveals how much the relationship has come to matter to her.

For Nik, the doc is an intrusion. Her access to it represents the threat of exposure, but it also foreshadows her role as someone who ultimately supports Ishu's choices, including attending her wedding.

Theme Connections

The doc connects directly to the theme of performance vs authenticity. It is the literal script for the girls' performance, but it also becomes the record of their authentic feelings. The tension between these two functions mirrors the tension in the story itself.

The doc also connects to bisexual erasure and the need for proof. Hani needs the fake relationship to prove her bisexuality to her friends. The doc is part of that proof—it is the evidence that she is dating someone, that she is really bisexual. The irony is that the proof is itself a lie.

The doc connects to toxic friendship and the cost of conformity. Hani's need to maintain the performance stems from her fear of losing Aisling and Dee. The doc is a symptom of that conformity.

Study Questions

1. How does the Google Doc function differently for Hani and Ishu at the start of their arrangement?

For Hani, the doc is a script and a safety net—she creates it to keep their story straight and avoid being caught in a lie. For Ishu, it is initially a transactional tool; she is reluctant to engage with it and only goes along with it because she needs Hani's popularity for her Head Girl campaign. The doc reveals their different motivations: Hani needs social acceptance, Ishu needs political advancement.

2. What changes when Nik gains access to the document?

The doc shifts from a private script to a potential threat. Hani and Ishu realize that Nik could expose their lie with a single click, undoing everything they've worked toward. The breach forces them to confront the fragility of their arrangement and deepens their bond as they deal with the crisis together.

3. Why does Ishu resist deleting the document in chapter thirty-two?

Ishu says the idea of deleting it makes her feel a little hollow inside because the doc feels like a history of us. Even though it contains evidence of their lie, it also records the relationship that has developed between them. Her resistance reveals that the doc has become emotionally meaningful to her, not just a practical tool.

4. How does the doc's role in chapter forty-nine differ from its role in chapter nine?

In chapter nine, the doc is a forward-looking script—it tells the girls what to say and do to maintain their performance. In chapter forty-nine, it is a retrospective record—Ishu uses it to verify their timeline and explain how their fake dating became real. The doc has transformed from a plan for a lie into evidence of a genuine relationship.

For more context on how the fake dating arrangement shapes the story, see the book overview and the themes of immigrant parental expectations and conditional approval and cultural identity and belonging between worlds.