𝙊𝙗𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙨𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙇𝙤𝙫𝙚

Chapter 1 - Bittersweet Sixteen

(Past)

Shruti's Pov

The morning started off pretty well today because it's my 16th birthday. Bhaiyya woke me up with his usual greeting, "Happy birthday, Chirkut." That's what he always calls me. Everyone in the family wished me one after another, except for Baba. He never says it out loud but shows it in his own way maybe. My phone kept buzzing with notifications as friends sent their wishes, but I was waiting for one specific text from the person I once called my best friend. He was my best friend until he started pushing me away for no reason. It's been year now. It started little by little but I still held onto the other end of the thread until few months ago. Enough was enough.

It's funny how I thought he would remember my birthday and wish me, but he didn't. That's when I finally accepted what I had been denying-maybe our friendship really had faded away. It hurts so much to see our years of friendship from childhood just fade away so easily. It was hard to genuinely smile on my own birthday, but in front of the family, I had to keep a happy face. It wasn't easy, but I knew I had to manage it. He makes me cry, his reminder or mention makes me sad now.

Pushing these thoughts aside for the time being, I started replying to the birthday texts. Some were from old friends from sixth or seventh grade. We don't talk much anymore, but they still wish me on my birthday and then disappear for another year and the cycle continues. I replied to two of my close friends, Sakshi and Malini. I met them few years ago and we all bonded but still the friendship doesn't reassure me that they are trustworthy. They feel like namesake friends to me. After finishing this not-so-exciting task, I freshened up and went to my puja room, to my Govind, where I find real peace-a place of selfless love, away from this selfish world.

After my puja, I went to the kitchen to help Maa and spend some time with her. Seeing me, Maa smiled happily, and we started talking about random things and this is when I learned from Maa that they were throwing a small party to celebrate my birthday and my promotion to grade 11, with the science stream, of course-every Indian parent's favorite. Everyone in the family was busy preparing for the evening party, so I helped Maa with her chores. Once we were done, I went to my room, seeing me Suddenly Bhaiyya came in and suggested, lets play some chess to which I agreed, and we played a game where he was overly confident about winning, but it ended in a draw and He kept muttering, "How can this be a draw? I was supposed to win."

Sighing, I returned to my room and started inviting my friends and I was in a dilemma about whether to invite him or not. After thinking it over for the nth time today, I decided it was better to let go of things sometimes instead of holding on so tightly that it might start to hurt. With that, I finished the invitations. But suddenly I remember Abhi aka Abhishek, he is new in our school and shortly we became friends, so i thought of inviting him. Maa and Baba also invited some relatives, and Bhaiyya mentioned he might invite his friends too, which kept bothering me.

Soon, it was evening, and time for the birthday party. Guests would start arriving soon, so I got ready, wearing my favorite blue dress that Maa bought for me a few days back. I began hearing sounds from downstairs, indicating guests had started to arrive. After a few minutes, there was a knock on my door. I opened it to see my friends Sakshi and Malini standing there with gifts in their hands and smiles on their faces. I invited them in, and we chatted for a while. They wished me and teased that the gifts would be given after the cake-cutting, laughing all the while. Though I am not sure about the friendship but sometimes I really enjoy their company and i think that's the sole reason, they are still my friends.

Suddenly, there was another knock at the door and It was Maa, informing me that all the guests had arrived and it was time to go downstairs and greet everyone. We headed down, and everyone started wishing me, talking to me with gifts on their hands. Later, some more friends arrived, wished me, and gave their gifts. But my mind was unintentionally looking for him-my best friend who never missed any of my birthdays. I wondered if he would even come or not.

Then waled in Abhi. Seeing him, Sakshi and Malini started laughing and teasing me. They can't take a male friend for just a friend and that really irritates me. He came over, wished me, and handed me his gift. Soon, it was time to cut the cake. Everyone gathered around, smiling and giggling. Just as I was about to cut the cake, I saw Aarav, my best friend...was standing there a bit away from all of us, He was here-Bhaiyya had invited him. He stood there looking at me, but I averted my eyes and focused on to cut the cake. I fed the first piece to Maa, then Baba, then Bhaiyya, and gradually my friends. When it was Abhi's turn, I fed him a piece. Everyone was busy eating the cake when Aarav approached me.

"Happy birthday, Shri," he said softly.

I looked at him blankly, confused and hurt, so I just simply replied, "Thank you."

Akshit bhaiyya was there so i didn't say much but when he moved to one his friends, I couldn't take it anymore so i said, "Do you remember that I was your friend? Or are you just here to wish me as your bestfriend's sister?"

He looked at me, dumbfounded and asked, "What?" This was when I couldn't hold back anymore. "I was supposed to ask you what's wrong! I've been texting, calling, and trying to meet you, but you've been ignoring me for months. Why Aarav? Did I do something wrong? Was it so easy for you to ghost me? Did you forget our years of friendship that easily?," tears prick my eyes with my last question.

As I fired all my questions at him, he just stared at me, showing some emotion that I couldn't decipher. Just when he was about to reply, Bhaiyya appeared and said, "What are you doing here? I've been looking for you everywhere." Bhaiyya looked at the gift in my hand from Aarav and said, "We'll unwrap them after the party."

I replied, "No Bhai, these are my gifts. I'll open them."

Bhaiyya laughed and said, "Okay, okay, fine. I was just joking. Don't cry now, and call Maa." Then he took Aarav with him and walked away.

I couldn't take anymore so I rushed to my room, feeling nothing but sadness. Finally, my eyes started to fill with tears-the tears I had been holding back all along. I was left with hurt, betrayal, and unanswered questions. How could he just do that? The biggest of all the questions my mind was filled with was, WHY? Tears flow down my eyes but i wipe them quickly. I am not crying over this, over him. If our friendship didn't mean anything to him then it won't to me from now on. Embrace it when it's there, forget it when it's gone.

Suddenly my phone pinged, probably a notification from WhatsApp. I took my phone in my hand and opened the app only to find a message from the person, who ghosted me for a year. What does he need now? He can't expect my forgiveness now after a year!! Or was he acting like he doesn't even know what he did? God I will lose my mind if he does that and I might.. I might...i don't know. What violent thing I can probably do to him to hurt him but not physically!! I don't think I am even capable of hurting him mentally or emotionally.

I checked his message finally after all the unnecessary thoughts and important rants to the ghost in the room. He says:

𝐀𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐯: I won't act like I haven't hurt you shri. I know I did. But believe me, for the last time probably, I never wanted to. I would never. I won't ask for your forgiveness. I don't deserve that. I don't deserve your friendship. I don't deserve you at all. And you probably have far more good friends then me now. You deserve that. I am grateful that you were my friend, truly. But this ends here today. I can't explain anything to you so please, I beg don't ask me.
I am so sorry Shri.

And with that, my heart cracks and a whimper escapes my mouth. Tears flow through my eyes without any restraint. I don't know if I can ever forgive my bestfriend, my ex bestfriend. I cry myself to sleep on my sixteenth birthday.

᳀᳀᳀᳀᳀᳀᳀

𝗛𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗼 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿 💌 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗢𝗟!!! 𝗔 𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘄𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸.

𝗪𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝗽𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝘁!!
(Toh kaisa laga first chapter? Bittersweet ik but it's just the start toh trust us 🌝)

𝗗𝗼 𝘃𝗼𝘁𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁. 𝗔𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝗱𝗼 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝘂𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲. 𝗔𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘂𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗹𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗸. 𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝘀𝗼𝗼𝗻 💌

𝑇𝑎𝑘𝑒𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑚𝑢𝑎ℎ❤