The Last Goodbye

Chapter 1

Being interrogated by your parents, uncles, aunties falana falana is still acceptable and can be easily handled, but have you ever been interrogated by your friends?

For Divya Chavan, being questioned by anyone and then answering to their predictable questions was still a piece of cake, however as she assessed her friends – the short and timid Nandini who thought she would never get caught for any stupid things that she would do yet the whole college knew her as she would hop around mingling with everyone; the average height fair and lean Natasha whose hair dropped back till her waist and had always been open even through the scorching heat of Mumbai and then there was Simran whose big forehead she would rather keep hidden behind her bangs, and the only one who was so conscious of her growing cheeks, her figure, her skin etc and yet was the sweetest of all. Somehow the one girl who spoke less but had always been the talk among the boys and hence whenever they would be the one settled in as an interrogation panel it would land her up in a hitch.

 For two years now every time that she had been on the receiving end she had found herself getting nervous, all her talent of making best of excuses going down the gutter and she would surely get intimidated by them all, Such that even the raise of their eyebrows and smiles would speak louder than what their words had ever done.

However, among the hundreds of students in that college Divya Chavan was a localite just like her friends, whose life was spent travelling in the local trains of Mumbai, quite an average looking personality, nothing special until and unless she had those mood swings of hers where she decided it was time to just outshine and dress up differently, one where she looked funky, with her black eyes that would turn brown in light, would be the center of attention, and somehow would finally be noticed by all.

"What do you mean by you are not really in a mood to celebrate your birthday? Divya you are the first girl amidst our group to turn 21 we can't have it, we are surely going to go clubbing... ohh I can even ask the boys to get us into the guest list." Nandini tried to whisper as Divya sat back in the almost broken chair of their classroom. Her eyes then went off to simran and Natasha who was busy grinning; Divya could bet all her odds that they might as well be planning all the stupid things they would do later on.

"And I don't understand why is it that we have to celebrate my birthday in a club? We can as well go for a long drive, you can come at my place... we would cut a cake, I will treat you for lunch or you guys can even stay over at my place." Divya suggested. Her eyes assessing them as if she was once again in the examination room, quite unsure what would be the answer to the next question, while the rest gave her a bored look.

"Guys my parents won't allow... it's simple."

"Ohh ho Divya, why do you have to worry about that? I am here, Natasha is here we will talk them into it... and say if it's not them, tell me are you planning to go out with someone else?" Nandini bent a bit and murmured her voice coming out as if they were discussing a murder case that none was to know about.

"Ohh don't tell me, you have a boyfriend?" Natasha exclaimed.

Divya gave her an incredulous look and then turned to simran. She had always been the sensible one out of the three, however even before she could ask for help, Nandini banged the desk chair on which she sat and said,

"Simran this time you have to support us...we are right." As if an important notice was to be announced, the three of them waited for Simran to let out the final verdict. Simran smiled at Divya who very well understood that she had badly lost the case here.

"Sorry Divya but they are right... only few months are left for college to get over and we have so much left to do, please let's get this over with?" Simran's face as Divya studied her was anything but sorry.