Shuttles And Stars

Sia

The clock struck 12:30 a.m. just as we finished setting up, and, right on cue, Meera walked through the door. Her eyes widened as she took in the decorations, the balloons, the spread of her favorite snacks, and the cake proudly displayed in the center of the table. She blinked, caught somewhere between surprise and happiness, her hands flying to her mouth.

“Happy Birthday, Meera!” we all shouted, our voices echoing through the room.

“Oh my god, you guys!” She laughed, her eyes sparkling as she hugged each of us, clearly moved by the surprise. When she reached Abhimanyu, he seemed almost nervous, but his grin was as bright as hers. “I didn’t expect any of this,” she said, beaming. “Thank you.”

We all gathered around the cake, and after a rousing rendition of “Happy Birthday,” Meera blew out the candles. She looked so genuinely happy as she cut the cake, handing out pieces to everyone, laughter filling the room.

As the music played softly in the background, Abhimanyu took a deep breath and gently pulled Meera aside. The rest of us tried to give them space, pretending not to notice, but it was hard to look away from the way Abhimanyu’s face softened as he spoke to her. I watched as he reached for her hand, his voice barely audible over the music.

“Meera, there’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you for a long time.” His tone was tender, his eyes never leaving hers. “I’ve liked you… more than just as a friend, for a while now. I didn’t want to lose what we have, but seeing you here tonight, I can’t keep it to myself anymore.”

Meera’s smile softened, and a blush rose in her cheeks as she squeezed his hand. “You really feel that way?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Abhimanyu nodded, a little breathless. “Yeah, I do. I think… I think I’ve been in love with you for longer than I even realized.”

For a moment, there was silence. Then, with a wide grin, Meera wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him close. “I think I’ve been waiting for you to say that,” she whispered, her voice warm.

They stood there, wrapped up in each other, and everyone else broke into applause. Netra was grinning, and even Neeraj, standing beside me, looked genuinely happy for them.

Meera turned back to us, beaming, and gave Abhimanyu’s hand a reassuring squeeze. “Looks like I’m officially off the market now,” she teased, leaning her head on his shoulder.

Abhimanyu laughed, the happiest I’d seen him in ages. “Yeah, and I’m not letting you go.”

As they shared a warm embrace, I felt a pang of joy for them and a twinge of something deeper, something more complicated, as I glanced at Neeraj. Perhaps Meera and Abhimanyu’s happiness was reminding me of something I was still struggling to understand—or maybe, something I was still afraid to admit.