Meera reached the venue and smiled wide. Her best friend from school was getting married here. It was a destination wedding. 

“SAKSHI!”

Meera yelled and ran straight into Sakshi’s arms. The girl too yelled in happiness amd hugged Meera back with equal enthusiasm.

“I missed you soooo much!”

Meera mumbled in the hug. 

“Joothi! Miss kia hota toh milne aati na beech mai. Mai shaadi ke liye invite na krti toh tujhe yaad bhi nhi rehta ki mai exist krti hu.”

(Liar! You would have met me if you missed me. You wouldn’t even remember I existed had I not invited you to the wedding.

Sakshi complained and Meera held her ears in apology. She had left the state 10 years back and the country almost 8 years back.

Everyone who knew her from school knew why she left abruptly. They knew what had happened between her and her best friend since childhood, Abhimaan.

“Aisa nhi hai yaar. Sorry! Ab aa gyi na mai. But I can’t believe ki Miss I Run Away From Boys shaadi kr rhi hai.”

(It’s not like that. Sorry! Now I am here. But I can’t believe that Miss I Run Away From Boys is getting married.)

Meera teased and Sakshi chuckled. She gazed at her fiance who was standing a little away talking with his friends with love filled eyes.

“Kya karu? Isne bhaagne hi nhi dia. Phasa lia aise mujhe.”

(What can I do? He did not let me run. He trapped me in such a way.)

“Aww! Look at you talking so cheesy and romantic.”

Sakshi hit her arm lightly and the two laughed.

“I’m so happy that you’re here. Mujhe laga nhi tha ki tu aayegi.”

(I thought you’d not come.)

Sakshi said with a soft smile and Meera frowned.

“Arre! Meri bestie ki shaadi hai. Mai kaise nhi aati?”

(It’s my bestie’s wedding. How could I not come?)

“No I mean…after knowing that Abhi is going to come…I thought you’d skip.”

Meera’s smile fell. She hadn’t known that Abhimaan was coming.

“Why is he coming? Tum toh itne achhe friends bhi nhi the that you’d invite him.”

(You were not even good friends that you’d invite him.

“I didn’t. Akshat did. Mujhe laga when I told you I am getting married to Akshat, tu samajh jaayegi. The two were on the same basketball team. He invited the entire team. So, he’s also going to come.”

(I thought when I told you I am getting married to Akshat, you’d understand.)

Meera tried to process the information. She hadn’t thought about seeing him after so long. She had been following his social media through other IDs so that he doesn’t get to know it’s her. 

He had matured a lot. Look wise and also otherwise. She had heard his interviews and other videos he had posted on various conventional topics.

“Meera? You’ll be okay, right?”

Meera plastered on a fake smile and said.

“Ofcourse! 10 saal ho gye uss baat ko. I’ve forgotten it. Haan bas baat nhi hui usse. Hai toh aaj bhi mera best friend hi na.”

(It’s been 10 years. I’ve forgotten it. Yes I have not talked to him. But he is still my best friend.)

Meera tried to play it cool. But she knew it wasn’t going to be difficult facing him after all these years. Especially when she had run away like a coward.

Meera entered the room she was given and fell on the bed on her back. She sighed and closed her eyes as the memories of the day things went downhill started playing.

Meera and Abhimaan had been best friends since they were in diapers. Their families were neighbours. Their fathers worked in the same company and their mothers too were very close.

Abhimaan had been the only best friend Meera had until she met Sakshi in Grade 8. Even then, no body could take Abhimaan’s place in Meera’s life. Things were the same for Abhimaan too. Meera was very important to him.

But when he started his puberty years, he made some decisions which changed his life. No! He wasn’t into any kind of addiction. He just made friends with some very elite class of kids who thought that making fun of people lower than them in status was fun.

And to fit in and become cool in their eyes, he did some things which he was still regretting. 

Meera still remembered how it happened that day. It was recess time and Meera was having her lunch with Sakshi. Her eyes moved towards Abhimaan standing and laughing with his new set of friends in one corner of the class.

She missed him. He rarely paid attention to her in school nowadays. Sure, they did go back home together, still and teasing each other but Meera could feel things changing.

Meera didn’t notice but her diary, the one she kept hidden and away from all eyes, slipped from her bag and was picked up by one of the ‘cool’ kids while he was passing by to go to his friends.

He flipped through the diary and read Meera’s name at the front page. He smirked evilly and flipped through the pages. His gaze landed on the one and he laughed loudly.

“Arre dekho, Meera ne apni diary mai kya likha hai…"I think I have a crush on him, I think I like Abhimaan”. Wah wah!”

(Look at this, what has Meera written in her diary…”I think I have a crush on him, I think I like Abhimaan”. Wow!)

Meera turned to look at the boy wide eyed and lunged for her diary but he held it high above his head.

“Waah bhai! Love story chal rhi hai school ke andar! Abhimaan bhai, tu toh hero nikla!”

(Wow! There’s a love story in school! Abhimaan you’re a hero!)

Meera froze, her face paled. She tried retrieving her diary but the boy held it away. She looked towards Abhimaan in hopes of him intervening and helping her but Abhimaan stayed put, clearly as shocked as Meera.

“Please…give it back. It’s personal.”

She whispered and tried to take it back again but the boy held it back and laughed loudly.

“Personal? Ab toh sabko pata chal gaya. Abhimaan, kya bolta hai tu? Teri best friend tujhe pasand krti hai!”

(Now everyone knows. What do you say Abhimaan? Your best friend likes you!)

Meera looked at Abhimaan, her eyes pleading silently. She doesn’t say a word, but her gaze begs him to stop them. Abhimaan hesitated and for a moment, his expression softened. But then, under the pressure of his friends, in an attempt to fit in and look cool, he forced a laugh.

“Arre wah Meera! Tu mujhe pasand krti hai? Diary mai likhne se kya hota hai? Mujhe propose krna tha na…”Abhimaan, I love you!”

(Wow Meera! You like me? What will happen by writing in diary? You should have proposed me…”Abhimaan, I love you!”)

He mocked and the boys burst out laughing. Abhimaan joined them, exaggerating and Meera’s eyes widened in disbelief. But Abhimaan didn’t look at her. He continued, breaking her heart further.

“Guys, careful! Ab se Meera mujhe apna pati samajh ke chalegi!”

(Meera will walk like I am her husband now!)

Everyone in the classroom roared with laughter. Meera’s face crumpled, her eyes glistened with tears. She snatched the diary from the boy’s hand and clutched it tightly to her chest. Then, without a word, she turned and walked out the room.