In the farewell

Manan! I yelled and he looked back

"Have you seen Sakshi?"

I asked Manan.He just shrugged and said,

"It’s you who usually knows about her."

I didn’t know why, but I was getting worried. As the time was passing my paitience level was over.

Almost everyone was here  except her.

Sakshi never shows up late. She’s the kind of person who arrives even before time.

I kept checking my phone again and again. No texts. No calls. Nothing. Just the text of yesterday a pic which has send me

(It was the sandwich she had made. )

That’s when I saw Riya. She was standing in the corner with her friends clicking pictures , and I ran toward her, hoping she would say something about sakhi.

"Riya! Have you seen Sakshi?"

She looked surprised.

Before she could answer, Janhvi walked over, smiling like everything was normal.

"Dev, you’re looking nice today," she teased.

I didn’t even smile.

"Where’s Sakshi?"

I asked again, louder this time.

"I don’t know," Riya replied, shaking her head.

"She hasn’t texted me either."

I felt my chest tighten id riya doesn't know then who on earth knows about her .

What if something was wrong?

I raised my voice again,

"How can nobody know where she is? She’s never like this!"

"Relax, Dev," Janhvi laughed.

"You’re acting like you're married to her or something."

My face probably said it all.

Riya’s expression changed.

"You okay?" she asked.

I didn’t answer.

Suddenly, I feel a little vibration the call has finally answered sakshi has picked up the call time started 3 second I heard a voice. Hello!

I froze for a second.

My fingers are trembling as I put the phone to my ear.

"Hello?" I said quickly.

But the voice I heard was different.

It wasn’t Sakshi. It was a lady.

A calm, official tone.

She spoke from the other side,

"This is the reception of \=\=\=\=\=. This girl has had an accident. Do you know her? Please inform her family and tell them to come here quickly."

My whole body went cold.

An accident? Sakshi?!

No. No. This can’t be happening.

Not today. Not on the day of our farewell. It's little too much for me I have talked to her accident my brain was in fear of losing her.

Just hearing those words made me tremble.

"Sakshi... had an accident?"

And nobody knew.

Nobody knew anything.

How?! How can this happen? With her? With her!"

I could hear people talking in the background.

Then again the voice,

"Hello? Can you inform her family?"

I somehow managed to ask, my voice shaking,

"Is she alright?"

The woman on the phone sighed.

"She had an accident. How can she be alright? Just inform her family,"

And then she hung up.

I just stood there.

Frozen.

Phone in hand.

My world suddenly too quiet… too loud… all at once.

chapter - 2

After the call… I was frozen . I didn’t know what to do . It was too much. Too sudden i was still in shock . The fear of losing her .

Before I could even put the phone down, I felt a gentle  tap on my shoulder.

Soft. Familiar.

Yashika.

She was smiling — bright and loud, like always.

But my face?

It said everything.

She tilted her head. “Bhai, what happened? Why are you looking like this? Fix your look, bro!”

Her tone was full of energy — who wouldn’t be happy on farewell day?

I glanced at my watch.

11:50.

The stage event would start in 10 minutes.

I wasn’t sure if I’d make it.

Yashika stood there, half confused. She could tell something was off .

Then she asked.

The question.

“Where’s Sakshi? I haven’t seen her till now…”

My throat dried up. I could barely speak. And i was not sure shall i tell her or not .

“Yashika… do you have your car keys?”

My voice cracked in places I didn’t know existed.

She frowned, instantly serious. “Car keys? Bro, what happened? Tell me—”

I looked up, but my voice broke before the sentence could.

“I… I have to go to the hospital .

Sak…shi…

Sakshi had an accident…”

Just saying those words felt like coughing up pieces of myself.

Her name.

That word.

Accident.

Together? It didn’t make sense. It shouldn’t.

I saw her face change — I’d never seen Yashika go silent like that.

She knew me. She knew what Sakshi meant to me.

“So what now?” she asked quietly.

Her eyes were on mine.

But mine… were stuck to the floor.

“I don’t know,” I whispered. “I just want to be with her.”

And I looked up — really looked — into her eyes.

That’s when the DJ started. Loud music filled the ground.

But it was still quieter than my heartbeat.

A heartbeat that was only beating for her.

Because of her.

Sakshi.

Yashika didn’t say another word.

She opened her purse, pulled out her keys, and placed them in my hand.

“Go to her,” she said, her voice soft but steady.

“And don’t forget to confess.”

I didn’t even think.

I just ran.

I heard my name — classmates, friends, calling out.

But it wasn’t her voice.

Only she knew how to call my name like it meant something.

At the gate, I saw my Physics teacher.

Our eyes met.

He didn’t say anything.

Neither did I.

I ran.

I unlocked the car. Tossed my phone aside.

Loosened my tie.

And started the engine.

I didn’t know what was going to happen.

I didn’t care if I was ruining my farewell.

What even was a farewell without her?

Her voice… her memories…

And every unfinished moment in my head.

I drove like I had something to lose.

Because I did.

Her.

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