CONFESSIONS

My euphoria was over and Dev pulled away, as Ria coughed loudly behind him.

I felt so embarrassed that I wanted a hole to open up right in front of me, so I can jump in and disappear!

Why do I keep doing this to myself??

Why do I keep wanting something I would never get!

I didn't have the time recover much as all my friends began to give me presents and wished me once again.

Rahul and his girlfriend Pari were the last to wish me.

"Thank you so much for coming."I shook Rahul's hand and smiled back and extended my other hand to Pari. "Pari, I am so glad you came. And I am sure you made Rahul come here, am I right?" I smiled with extra cheerfulness to cover up for my nerves. I still don't know why, but Rahul had a huge crush on me in my first year which I completely ignored. After sometime, once he and Pari started going out together, he began to talk normally again, but I was never comfortable around him.

"Sorry Chandni for crashing in to your party uninvited. But we both wanted to wish you before we leave for our hiking camp tomorrow." Pari pressed my hand.

I felt so relieved to hear that from Pari and the way Rahul looked at me happily, without any awkwardness was proof enough.

"What are you talking about? I am really happy that both of you are here." I assured them.

Dev's Parents gave me the latest Caprese handbag and I took their blessings. Maa and Papa gave me a gift voucher and hugged me from each side as I closed my eyes for few seconds, enjoying the bliss. Forget Dev, at least I have loving parents who knew their daughter and never hurt her.

I hugged my Papa and thanked him for inviting my friends and organising the party.

"Oy helloo. All that credit goes to me. I was the one who pushed and pleaded with everyone to come here." Ria declared as she came forward, carrying two trays of plates laden with cake pieces, closely followed by Dev with two more trays.

"Don't believe a word of what she says Chandni! It was your friend Dev who organised this surprise party and called all of us." Shahana spilled the beans on Ria and Ria gave her a murderous look. I quickly looked up at Dev, but he was busy distributing cake pieces to everyone.

Great!!

But I was confused. Dev never showed any interest in meeting or talking to my friends all these years. What brought this sudden change that he invited them and even organised this party? May be he did it because I was going away.

My parents along with Dev's went upstairs to play cards, urging us to continue our party.

All of us settled down in different lounges and cushions on the ground, as Ria cleverly manipulated me to sit next to Dev on the lounge. That girl never gives up, does she!

We chatted for a while and all my friends were curious to talk to Dev and his pilot training. Dev could be very charming when chose to be, and my friends got floored by his cocky answers cleverly mixed with humour and wit. And the girls... Dev spoke to them with such a cute smile that they were hanging on to every word he said! It hit me just then. This was how he used to talk to me, till I was in my junior college;

But the last four years, either he changed or something between us went sour. He was too busy with his training and me in my studies, and even in the little time we spent together, he would provoke me or make snide remarks, and I always ended up fighting with him. I was lost in my thoughts and didn't realize that cake in my plate finished and I was licking the empty fork.