Chapter 3: Friends Who Slowly Disappear
School used to feel different before Class 10.
There was laughter in the corridors, random jokes during lunch breaks, and those small moments that made school feel like a second home.
But this year… everything felt different.
Everyone was busy.
Some friends were preparing for exams in their own way. Some had joined different coaching classes. Some were always surrounded by new groups of people.
And slowly, without any big fight or argument, the distance between us started growing.
At first, I didn't notice it.
But one day during lunch break, while sitting quietly with my tiffin box, I realized something strange.
The people who once sat beside me every day… were now sitting somewhere else.
They weren't my enemies.
They just weren't close anymore.
It felt like life had quietly rearranged everyone's priorities.
Marks became more important than memories.
Competition became stronger than friendship.
And in the middle of all this, I started feeling like I was walking alone on a road where everyone else had already found their own direction.
Sometimes I wondered if I was overthinking.
Maybe everyone was just busy.
But sometimes silence speaks louder than words.
The messages became fewer.
The conversations became shorter.
And slowly, the feeling of loneliness started growing.
But the strange thing about loneliness is that it doesn't always appear when you are physically alone.
Sometimes it appears when you are surrounded by people… but still feel invisible.
And that was exactly how I started feeling.
At the same time, exams were getting closer, my coaching problems were still there, and my mind was still distracted.
It felt like everything in my life was becoming heavier at the same time.
But I didn't know yet that something was about to happen…
Something that would make me question everything about my focus, my friendships, and even my future.