A borrowed amount should not make the borrower afraid to attend an ordinary gathering.

Debt between people has a social cost that nobody writes into the terms. If the borrower starts declining invitations, going quiet, or planning routes around the lender, the loan has begun taking more than money. Sometimes the pressure is applied, in a look or a joke. More often it is imagined, which does not make the avoidance any less real.

If you are owed, say clearly that the debt does not change the welcome, and mean it. Do not raise it at gatherings. If you are the one who owes, a short honest note about where things stand costs far less than months of staying away.