Chapter 1: Diverging Paths

The farewell was bittersweet. We had promised to stay in touch, swearing that nothing would change despite the distance. But before we moved away, we still had hurdles to cross—board exams, results, and the terrifying wait for our JEE scores. The months went by in a blur of constant revisions, intense studying, and late-night anxiety about the future.

Even though everyone was relieved when the board results were announced, a sense of unease lingered. The relief of clearing one hurdle quickly gave way to the anxiety of another—our JEE exams. We spent weeks preparing, knowing that our college admissions depended on those scores. When the results finally came, each of us received our fate: Saksham had made it to IIT, Divya secured admission at JNU for Zoology, I was headed to BIT Mesra, and Shazeb decided to stay back, balancing his English Honours course with his duties at his father's shop.

Then came the time to say a real goodbye. As the train left the platform, carrying me toward Ranchi, I already felt the weight of reality settling in. Whether I was ready or not, life was moving forward.

A week prior, Saksham had left for IIT, both anxious and excited about the academic grind ahead. Divya had settled into her new life at JNU, sending occasional updates about her classes. Shazeb's transition had been the easiest—he was still in our hometown, his life shifting but not uprooted. Meanwhile, I was struggling in a way I hadn't expected.

BIT Mesra felt like an entirely different world. The sprawling campus, the towering academic buildings, the sheer number of students—it was overwhelming. Unlike school, where I could rely on my friends, here I was just another face in the crowd. I had imagined college would be exciting, a fresh start. Instead, I found myself lost.

Abinash, my roommate, was the complete opposite of me—outgoing, confident, and effortlessly sociable. Within days, he had found his group, spending late nights laughing with his new friends, going on weekend outings, sharing inside jokes I didn't understand. I, on the other hand, spent most evenings buried in my books, scrolling aimlessly through my phone, staring at old messages, hesitating to send a new one. The loneliness crept in slowly at first, but soon it became suffocating.

One evening, as I sat by the window, Abinash returned from another outing, grinning as he collapsed onto his bed. "Dude, you have to come with us next time! The food at that dhaba? Insane!"

I forced a smile. "Yeah, maybe."

He chuckled. "Man, you always say that, but you never do. What's up with you? You barely talk, barely go out. College is meant to be fun too, you know?"

I hesitated. "I guess... I just miss my old friends."

He sighed, rolling onto his side. "I get it. But, Devi, life moves on. You can't spend all your time waiting for something that might never come back."

His words hit harder than I expected.

Our group chat had been lively at first—memes, complaints about professors, updates about campus life. But as weeks turned into months, the messages became fewer. Responses were slower, conversations shorter. Saksham was drowning in coursework and barely had time to talk. Divya seemed busy with her new circle, often mentioning events and outings. Even Shazeb, who usually had something witty to say, was replying less frequently. No one said it out loud, but we were all drifting apart.

I noticed the silence the most. Every night, I stared at my phone, rereading old texts, hovering over the keyboard but never typing anything. Would they even respond? Had they moved on, or was everyone just too busy? I told myself it was just a phase. But the truth was harder to ignore.

Then, one night, I finally reached out.

It had been a rough day. My grades were slipping, and I had barely spoken to anyone beyond basic class interactions. My roommate and his friends were joking loudly about some inside story while I sat at my desk, pretending to study. The weight of it all felt unbearable. So, in a half-joking attempt to reconnect, I sent a message to the group chat:

"Life sucks. Someone remind me why we wanted to grow up."

A few minutes later, Divya replied first.

"Devi, you need to grow up. We're all dealing with similar things. Just focus on your future."

Then Saksham.

"Yeah bro, it's tough, but you have to push through. Dwelling on it won't help."

Shazeb simply reacted with a thumbs-up emoji.

I stared at the screen, my heart sinking. The words weren't cruel, but they felt cold. Detached. Like they didn't understand, or worse, they didn't care.

Abinash must have noticed my expression because he sat up. "Anything happened?"

"No," I muttered. "Just... nothing."

He shrugged. "Look, man, I don't know what's going on with your friends, but maybe it's time to stop waiting for them to pull you back. Maybe you should find your own way forward."

I locked my phone and lay back on my bed, staring at the ceiling. My roommate was right. I needed to move on. But how could I, when everything that had once made me happy was slipping away?

We had promised nothing would change. But we had been naive.

Friendships don't just fade in a single moment. They dissolve slowly, silently, until one day, you wake up and realize you're alone.

And for the first time, I truly was.