"Kitne bure hai sab. Sab apna apna sochte hai. Mere liye toh kisi ke paas time hi nhi hai. Kya hota agar ek din apna apna kaam chorke sab mere sath celebrate kar lete afterall its my birthday, itni si khushi toh main bhi deserve karti hu"
Aadhya's muffled sobs filled the air.
"Itni nahi, duniya ki sari khushiyaan deserve karti hai hamari Aadhya" she heard a mix of voices and turned to find Aarohi, Kaashvi and Kiara standing at the doorway.
"Surprise! Happy Birthday Aadhya" they sang in unison.
Aadhya was looking at them with a blank face unsure of how to react. The three girls came running and hugged their friend.
"Kya bol rahi thi hum bure hai? Hum apna apna sochte hai? Humare paas tere liye time nhi hota hai?" Kiara said while making a fake angry face.
Aadhya struggled to find words "Tum log... sach mein aaye...", her voice cracking with emotion.
"Sorry yaar guys. Tumlog subah se phone nahi utha rahe the toh mujhe laga tumlog sach mein nahi aaoge. Aur wo sab toh thoda gusse mein nikal gaya, bhul jao and let's celebrate my birthday together" Aadhya mentally cursed herself for the thoughts she had just a few seconds ago.
"Thik hai lekin agli baar se bolne ke pehle dhyan rakhna aur jaldi jaldi ready ho jaa" Aarohi spoke pointing out a finger at Aadhya.
[After two hours]
After what felt like an eternity of pulling clothes off hangers, tossing them onto the bed, and muttering to herself in frustration, Aadhya finally found a perfect outfit. She dressed in a coral blue, A-Line, knee length dress. The dress had a button-down front and was adorned with puff sleeves. To complete the outfit she paired it with a crossbody bag and ballet flats. She let her locks cascade gently down her curves, flowing with a natural grace that framed her face and enhanced her silhouette. The group had planned their day at a nearby mall.
As the quartet entered the mall, their energy and excitement reached their limits. Their first stop was a sleek and sophisticated watch shop, where they planned to surprise Aadhya with a gift from her favorite brand. The shop's elegant displays glimmered under soft lighting, showcasing an array of exquisite designs. Aadhya's eyes lit up with delight as her friends guided her toward the collection. After carefully browsing through the entire collection, they finally found a watch that felt just right. As she slipped it onto her wrist, a satisfied smile spread across her face.
The group continued their stroll through the mall, their laughter echoing as they wandered from store to store. Every display, every quirky item on the shelves sparked a new wave of excitement. They tried on oversized sunglasses at a trendy accessories store, posing dramatically for fun.
As they made their way through the atrium, they paused near a vibrant neon-lit backdrop, perfect for selfies. "One mandatory group selfie!" Aadhya announced, pulling out her phone. They huddled together, striking playful poses-Aarohi flashing a peace sign, Kaashvi pretending to look dramatic, and Kiara rolling her eyes with a grin. Click after click, they captured the joy of the moment, making sure to get at least one picture with Aadhya showing off her new watch.
After a few more stops-window shopping at a boutique, sampling testers at a perfume store, and giggling at a mannequin dressed in a ridiculously mismatched outfit-they finally headed toward the food court, stomachs growling in anticipation of a delicious meal.
After settling into the food court, Aadhya overwhelmed with joy grinned "Thank you so much yaar for making my birthday so special. Pata hai maine toh decide hi kar liya tha ki agar tumlog nahi aaoge toh mein celebrate hi nahi karungi"
Kaashvi wrapped her arms around Aadhya's shoulder from one side "Tune soch bhi kaise liya ki tere itne special day pe humlog tujhe aisehi akela chor denge." Just then Aarohi and Kiara came up. Aarohi was carrying a small cake and Kiara held two trays in her hands filled with food items.
Aarohi put down cake tray in front of Aadhya "Baatein toh hote rahenge pehle tu cake cut kar." Aadhya blew out the candles and the three girls broke out into a 'Happy Birthday' song. She then cut the cake and fed it to the three of them. After finishing the cake, they served the other food items to themselves.
Kiara's voice suddenly broke out in a nostalgic tone "Waqt kitna jaldi beet jata hai na. Abhi kal ki hi baat lagti hai, humlog mile the, friendship hui hamari Kabhi socha hi nahi tha ki hum bestfriends ban jayenge"
Aarohi added "Ha wahi toh kitne logo ne kosish ki hamari friendship todne ki but see they failed." Kaashvi grabbed a pizza slice "Toh isi baat pe, Cheers to our friendship." Four of them joined their pizza slices with cheeky smiles.
Suddenly, Aadhya's Phone buzzed with the caller Id 'Shalini'. The other three looked away in mock disgust clearly irritated by the incoming call. "Aa gaya Dramalini ka phone" they said in unison.
As she picked up the call "Happy Birthday Aadhu" The voice of a teenage girl rang out from the other side.
"Thank You Shalini" Aadhya replied uninterested.
"Where are you? I went to your house but its locked?"
"Haan woh mom has gone to Nani's house and I came to celebrate with Aaru, Kaashu and Kiara, I had called you but it was switched off"
After a brief silence Shalini finally spoke pretending to be hurt "Ha ha why would you celebrate your birthday with me now? Your priorities have shifted these days. Anyways, sorry to disturb you. Enjoy your special day" saying this she disconnected the call.
Aadhya feeling bad about not informing her about their outing turned to her friends "Guys, I think I should have informed Shalini and invited her to join us. She must have felt hurt."
Kiara rolled her eyes with mock frustration "You really think she is hurt, bro she is just pretending to be hurt to gain your sympathy."
Aarohi agreeing with Kiara spoke up "Yes we all know how much drama she does to gain someone's attention. Aur Aadhya tujhe pata hai na wo tujhse kitna jalti hai. Hum tujhe itna pamper karte hai wo usse nahi dekha jata."
"Ha uss chudail ke bare mein soch ke apna din kharab mat kar. Woh toh Dramalini hai drama karti hi rehti hai" Kaashvi added.
As the day concluded, the group found themselves at a nearby park, enjoying their favorite ice cream flavors under the golden hues of the setting sun. The cool evening breeze rustled through the trees, carrying with it the faint laughter of children playing in the distance. Aadhya took a slow lick of her butterscotch ice cream, Kaashvi, being her usual mischievous self, smirked before flicking a tiny drop of her melting vanilla onto Kiara's arm. "Ew! Kaashvi!" Kiara shrieked, pulling away dramatically, making the others burst into laughter.
Aarohi, between bites of her chocolate fudge cone, captured candid pictures of the group. She tapped her screen a few times, adding the perfect filter to the candid shots, she typed, Our Drama Queen's day and posted it on instagram. Aadhya, leaning over Aarohi's shoulder, caught a glimpse of the caption and scoffed playfully "Drama Queen, huh? Just wait till your birthday!" she teased, nudging Aarohi.
This was the kind of birthday Aadhya had always dreamed of.
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The next day at college, Aadhya walked into the classroom, still buzzing with the happiness of yesterday. But before she could even reach her seat, Shalini was already standing there, arms crossed.
"Finally madam decided to show up?" Shalini said, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "Must have been too busy with your people to even remember I exist."
Aadhya sighed, already sensing the storm coming "Shalini, it wasn't like that. I called you, but your phone was switched off."
Shalini rolled her eyes "Once, Aadhya. You called once. And when I didn't answer, that was it? No texts, no follow-ups? But you had all the time in the world to celebrate with them."
Aadhya shifted uncomfortably, sensing the tension thickening between them "Shalini, it wasn't intentional. Everything happened so quickly, and I just-"
Shalini let out a small, bitter laugh "Oh, I get it. It wasn't intentional, right?" She shook her head, letting out a scoff "It's just funny, you know? You had time to plan everything with them but not even a single thought about me?"
Aadhya felt a lump form in her throat. She opened her mouth to explain, but before she could, Kiara, Kaashvi and Aarohi who had been watching from a few steps away, stepped forward.
"Oh, come on, Shalini" Kiara scoffed, folding her arms "You're acting like Aadhya did this on purpose just to hurt you."
Shalini turned to her, eyes flashing "Oh, so now I'm the bad guy for feeling left out?"
Kaashvi walked up "You always do this, Shalini. You get upset, make everything about yourself, and then flip the situation to make us feel guilty."
Shalini's face twisted in frustration "Excuse me? I'm not 'flipping' anything! I just... I just didn't expect to be ignored like that."
Aarohi sighed, shaking her head "You weren't ignored, Shalini. You're just overreacting-like always. Aadhya tried calling you, but your phone was switched off. What was she supposed to do, put the celebration on hold until you decided to be available?"
Shalini looked between them, her expression flickering between anger and hesitation. For a moment, it seemed like she wanted to argue, but then she let out a sharp exhale "You know what? Fine. If I'm overreacting, then I guess I should stop caring, right?"
Aadhya, tired of the back and forth, finally spoke up "Shalini, we care about you. But it's exhausting when you always turn things into a test of loyalty. Can you please stop making everything a competition?"
Shalini stared at her for a long moment, then shrugged "Whatever. Do what you want" And with that, she turned on her heel and walked away.
Kiara rolled her eyes "Over-Dramatic as ever."
Aadhya sighed, rubbing her temples "She'll come around."
Kaashvi smirked "Yeah. Once she realizes she doesn't have an audience for her drama."
Aadhya shook her head with a small smile. Deep down, she knew Shalini would be back. She always was.
******************************************
The air was thick with mischief as the group sat around their usual table, munching on fries and sipping on cold coffee. Kaashvi was minding her own business, scrolling through her phone, but the smirks on her friends' faces screamed trouble.
Kiara leaned forward, resting her chin on her hands, and sighed dramatically "Pyaar dosti hai..." she began, nudging Kaashvi with one elbow.
Kaashvi narrowed her eyes "Matlab?"
Aarohi grinned, jumping in with full-on Bollywood flair "Agar woh mera sabse achha dost nahi ban sakta, toh main usse kabhi pyaar kar hi nahi sakti!"
Aadhya, not one to be left behind, added, "Aur agar woh mera sabse achha dost hai... toh bas baat khatam!" She and Aarohi high-fived while Kaashvi groaned.
Kiara added "Aur hamari Kaashu ki sabse accha dost kaun hai?"
"Niiissshhchaayyy" Aarohi and Aadhya chirped together.
"Guys, seriously?" Kaashvi rolled her eyes, but the blush on her face betrayed her. "Nischay sirf mera dost hai!"
Kiara clapped her hands dramatically "Haan haan! Pehle pyaar se inkaar, phir thoda pyar, phir thoda aur, aur phir..." She trailed off, giving an eyebrow wiggle.
Aadhya gasped, placing a hand on her heart "Oho! Matlab kahani waise hi chal rahi hai jaise har filmy love story mein hoti hai!"
Kaashvi groaned, throwing a glare at Aadhya "Tum logon ko bas bakwas karni aati hai, na?"
Just then, Nischay was walking past their table. He gave Kaashvi a casual nod "Hey Kaashvi, kal milte hain?"
Kaashvi, usually so confident, actually fumbled with her drink, almost spilling it. The entire table went silent for half a second before Kiara clutched her chest and dramatically declared, "Bhaag Arjun bhaag! Yeh mohabbat ka chakkar bada dangerous hai!"
Aarohi leaned in with a mischievous glint "Beta, tumse na ho payega!"
Before Kaashvi could respond, Aarohi grinned and called out, "Arey, Nischay! Kahan bhaag rahe ho? Baitho na!"
Nischay chuckled, shaking his head "Nahi yaar, bas class ke liye ja raha tha-"
Aadhya pulled out a chair and patted on it "Ek lecture miss kar loge toh IIT ka seat nahi chala jayega, baith jao!"
Kiara smirked "Aur waise bhi, Kaashvi yahaan hai, toh tum class mein dhyaan kaise lagaoge?"
Kaashvi shot her a glare, while Nischay, completely unfazed, sat down with a smirk "Aaj bada special treatment mil raha hai, sab theek toh hai?"
Aarohi sighed dramatically "Bohot kuch theek hai, aur bohot kuch... bohot zyada theek hai!" She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.
Kaashvi groaned, "Tum log fir shuru ho gaye?"
Nischay raised an eyebrow "Kya shuru ho gaye?"
Aadhya leaned forward, whispering loudly, "Hum toh bas ye keh rahe the ki aajkal kisi ka schedule sirf Kaashvi ke aas paas ghoom raha hai!"
Kiara added with a fake serious expression, "Aur ye bhi keh rahe the ki dosti hi toh pyaar ki pehli seedhi hoti hai!"
Kaashvi groaned, hiding her face in her hands "Main tum sabko maar dungi!"
Nischay shook his head with a chuckle "Tum logon ke bina life bohot boring hoti."
Aadhya winked "Aur Kaashvi ke bina?"
Nischay leaned back in his chair, smirking as he crossed his arms. He glanced at Kaashvi, who was already glaring at him, waiting for his reaction. Then, with the smoothest tone, he said, "Kaashvi ke bina? Toh sochna bhi mushkil hai... zindagi se rang chala jaayega, hasi udh jaayegi..."
And with that, the group erupted into laughter. Kaashvi sat there flustered, wishing for the ground to swallow her whole.
******************************************
The classroom buzzed with the low hum of students chatting, the occasional laughter echoing through the room. Their professor was absent, which meant an entire free period for chaos.
Kiara, was just grateful for a break. She was about to rest her head on the desk and steal a quick nap, when she saw her friends having a silent conversation, their expressions were serious and hesitant.
She narrowed her eyes suspiciously "Kya chal raha hai?"
Aadhya blinked innocently "Kya chal raha hai? Matlab?"
Kiara straightened up, crossing her arms "Mujhe bewakoof mat samjho. Tum teeno aankhon hi aankhon mein koi discussion kar rahe ho. Spill it!"
Aadhya straightened and spoke up "Wo.....actually na....Kaashvi wants to tell you something"
Kaashvi who was fidgeting with the strap of her bag looked up to see Kiara glaring at her "Kya hai ghoor kyu rahi hai? Aur mujhe kuch nahi batana, jisne notice kiya hai wo hi bataye"
Kiara scoffed "Arre kisne kya notice kiya hai? Koi mujhe kuch batayega?"
Aarohi hesitated but finally spoke up "Actually I noticed something weird this morning. When you, me and Kaashvi were waiting for Aadhya in our classroom corridor, Atharv bhai was also there, standing near the staircase having a conversation with his friends. But when Rohan came to talk to you, his expression completely changed. His jaw clenched and his fists tightened as if he would eat up Rohan."
Kiara frowned, taken aback "Atharv? Are you serious?"
Aarohi nodded "Haan, I've never seen him react like that before. It was as if Rohan's presence irked him."
Aadhya leaned forward, her brows furrowed "This isn't the first time. Haven't you noticed how he keeps an eye on you, Kiara? Especially when Rohan is around?"
Kaashvi, who had been silent till now, sighed "Kiara, we're not making this up. It looked like actual jealousy."
Kiara shook her head, a mix of amusement and disbelief on her face. "Jealousy? Matlab tum kehna kya chahti ho? That Atharv...." She stopped mid-sentence, the words refusing to leave her mouth.
Aadhya exhaled. "Dekh, we're not saying anything for sure. But don't you think you should atleast talk to him in this matter? Just to understand what's going on?"
Kiara hesitated, biting her lip. The idea of confronting Atharv about something so absurd felt ridiculous. But deep down, an uneasy feeling was beginning to take root.
******************************************
The evening breeze carried a hint of coolness as Aadhya, Aarohi, Kiara and Kaashvi walked into the tuition class, their bags slung lazily over their shoulder. Aadhya glanced around, expecting to see Shalini at her usual spot by the window, flipping through her notes with a bored expression. But today, her seat was empty.
[ Aadhya's POV ]
I dumped my bag onto the desk with a sigh, rubbing my temples. It had been a long, exhausting day, starting with a boring lecture on something I had no interest in, made worse by the professor's droning voice that could put even the most enthusiastic student to sleep. By the time college ended, my head was pounding, my feet ached from walking across campus all day, and my patience was hanging by a thread. I just wanted to go home, bury myself in my blanket, and forget the world existed.
But no I had to still survive my tuition. The only good thing is that Shalini wasn't here today. No passive-aggressive comments, no pointed looks-just peace.
"Where's Shalini?" Aarohi asked, flipping open her notebook.
I shrugged "No idea. She didn't say anything to me."
Kaashvi smirked "Maybe she's still sulking."
Before I could even respond, the door creaked open. A gust of air rushed in, making a few loose pages flutter on the desks. Something about the energy in the room shifted, conversations dulled, a few heads subtly turned. Curious, I glanced toward the entrance.
And that's when I saw him.
[ To be continued ]
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