Loneliest Birthday

Chapter 1:-

The story of three friends is always special.

But every story has a breaking point—

the moment when two grow closer,

and the third begins to disappear.

At first, it's subtle.

A missed glance.

An unanswered call.

A silence that stretches just a little too long.

And one day…

that silence becomes something else.

Something that burns.

Jiya—

Jiya was the kind of girl people admired without effort.

She came from a middle-class family, raised on discipline, warmth, and quiet ambition. She was brilliant—one of the top students in her state—and opportunities seemed to find her before she even reached for them. Internship offers from prestigious companies lined up at her doorstep, drawn to her talent and determination.

But more than that, she was loved.

Her parents, her brother—

they stood behind her like an unbreakable wall.

Jiya never had to question where she belonged.

Suhan—

Suhan was different.

Where Jiya thrived in classrooms, he ruled the field.

An athlete with a sharp presence and effortless confidence, he had already brought home many gold medals for his state. His name carried weight in college—not just because of his achievements, but because of the way he carried himself.

Strong. Focused. Certain.

His parents were proud of him, and Suhan had built his life around that pride.

He never failed.

And then…

There was the third friend—Reo.

Reo didn't know the price of a loaf of bread, but she knew the exact weight of the silence in a twenty-room mansion

Her world had everything—

luxury, expensive things, a life people dream of.

Before she even opened her eyes in the morning,

everything she needed was already placed before her.

But…

she didn't have the one thing

that mattered the most—

her parents' love.

They were so busy with their work

that they didn't even realize

when their daughter turned twenty.

Years had passed

since they had last truly been with her.

But Reo didn't seem to care.

Because she had something she believed was more precious—

her two friends.

Jiya and Suhan.

They were her world.

They were her family.

She valued them more than anything else in her life.

She believed—

as long as they were by her side,

She didn't need anyone else.

Reo woke up early that morning.

It was her birthday.

Sunlight filtered through the glass walls of her room, falling over the rows of luxury she owned. She stretched lazily, then walked toward her collection—cards, gifts, and most importantly… her cars.

Her fingers paused.

A red Mercedes.

A faint smile curved her lips.

"Perfect," she whispered.

Minutes later, she was on the road.

Her first stop—Jiya.

Jiya stepped out of her modest home, her face lighting up the moment she saw Reo.

"Happy Birthday!" she said warmly, hugging her.

Reo smiled back—soft, genuine… almost.

"Thank you."

They laughed, joked, and drove through the city like any normal friends would.

Next stop—Suhan.

He joined them casually, sliding into the car with his usual charm.

"Birthday girl," he grinned, "treat today?"

Reo laughed lightly.

"Let's see if you deserve it."

The three of them headed to college together—

perfect. Complete. Untouchable.

At college, everyone knew Reo.

Students, teachers… even the principal.

Not just knew—

They respected her.

Her presence alone turned heads.

Her wealth commanded attention.

And because she stood beside Jiya and Suhan,

That same respect extended to them as well.

It looked like friendship.

It looked like admiration.

It looked… perfect.

But perfection is often a mask.

And Reo wore hers flawlessly.

Behind that gentle smile

lived something else.

Something sharp.

Something calculating.

Something… dangerous.

Years ago, in 5th grade—

A boy named Monty played what he thought was a harmless prank.

During a school field trip, he picked up a small insect and tried to scare Jiya with it.

To him, it was just a joke.

Something to laugh about with his friends.

But to Reo…

It was an insult.

Not just to Jiya—

but to her.

Reo didn't react immediately.

She didn't shout.

She just smiled.

Because in Reo's world,

anyone who tried to hurt her friends—

even as a joke—

would pay a price.

A price far heavier than they could ever imagine.

Later that day—

no one saw what happened.

No one heard anything.

But Monty did.

Reo had cornered him.

And what she did next…

was something no one would ever imagine.

She forced him—

to eat the very insects he had used to scare her.

Not one.

Not two.

Many.

He cried. He begged.

But Reo didn't stop.

Her eyes were calm.

Cold.

As if she was conducting an experiment.

And no one ever found out.

Because Reo wasn't just rich in money—

She was rich in intelligence.

She knew how to hide things.

How to control situations.

How to erase evidence.

Today, she looked like the sweetest girl in college.

Kind. Caring. Perfect.

But inside—

She was a psycho genius.

Jiya's sudden opportunities from top companies…

Suhan's constant gold medals…

None of it was luck.

None of it was hard work or coincidence.

It was Reo.

She wanted them to be number one.

Always.

No matter what it took.

No matter who had to fall behind.

No matter…

if someone had to disappear.

Because for Reo—

Love wasn't soft.

Friendship wasn't pure.

And success…

was never hard work.

But Reo didn't know…

Behind her back, Jiya and Suhan had already crossed the line from friendship into something more.

What started as simple closeness had quietly turned into love.

The entire college knew about them—

the stolen glances, the soft smiles, the unspoken bond.

Everyone knew.

Everyone… except Reo, Perhaps she does suspect something, but she's in denial because she values them too much. Or, maybe she's so focused on controlling their success that she missed their emotions.

And while the truth lived openly around her,

Reo remained lost in her own thoughts—

planning her birthday.

For the first time, she didn't want anything extravagant.

No five-star parties.

No flashing lights.

No fake smiles.

She wanted something simple.

Something… real.

Just the three of us.

The thought felt warm.

Peaceful.

Perfect.

For once, she wanted to live like a normal middle-class girl—

just the three of them, together.

She imagined it clearly:

A trip to the mountains.

A long hike through quiet trails.

And at night, by the riverside—

under the open sky—

she would cut her birthday cake.

Just her…

and the only two people she truly called her own.

See you after class," Jiya said, adjusting her bag.

Suhan gave a casual nod, already glancing at his phone.

"Don't be late today," he added, half-smiling.

Reo watched them both for a second…

then smiled back.

"Obviously."

And just like that—

They went their separate ways.

Different corridors.

Different classrooms.

Different worlds.

Reo walked into her class, the usual whispers following her presence.

Respect. Admiration. Curiosity.

She ignored it all.

Her mind wasn't in the classroom today.

It was somewhere else.

My birthday…

A faint smile appeared on her lips.

As soon as the class ended,

a girl wearing glasses—timid and hesitant—slowly approached Reo.

There was fear in her steps,

and a slight tremble in her voice.

"R-Reo… can you give me today's class notes?"

Reo looked at her from head to toe.

Her gaze lingered for a moment—

as if she wasn't just looking, but reading her.

Then suddenly—

she smiled.

"Sure… why not."

She handed over her notebook.

The girl let out a quiet sigh of relief,

murmured a soft "thank you," and quickly walked away.

Reo stepped out of the classroom.

She immediately took out her phone

and called Jiya.

Ring…

Once…

twice…

No answer.

Her brows knitted slightly.

She called Suhan next.

The phone kept ringing—

but again…

no response.

The smile on her face slowly disappeared.

Something felt… off.

Without wasting another second,

Reo headed straight toward their classroom.

It was empty.

No Jiya.

No Suhan.

Her steps quickened.

She moved toward the playground—

the place where Suhan was usually found.

But even there…

he wasn't anywhere.

Reo turned toward a few students nearby.

"Have you seen Suhan?" she asked calmly.

One of them replied casually,

"Yeah… he just left with Jiya a while ago."

That was enough.

Reo stood still for a moment.

Her face showed no emotion.

No anger.

No surprise.

Just… silence.

Reo couldn't understand what was happening.

If the two of them were together,

Then why weren't they answering her calls?

A small confusion settled in her mind.

Then suddenly, another thought appeared—

What if… they're planning a surprise for me?

The idea didn't seem strange to her.

After all, every year, Jiya and Suhan would go together to buy her gifts.

Reo's expression softened slightly.

Maybe that's it.

She took out her phone.

Why not just text them my birthday plan? she thought.

If they see it, they'll come straight to the mountains on their own.

That felt right.

Perfect, even.

"I'll go ahead and prepare everything," she murmured to herself.

Without wasting time, she called her driver and gave clear instructions.

The hiking plan…

was cancelled.

But the rest—

The night on the mountain,

cutting the cake under the open sky,

a quiet barbecue by the riverside—

That plan was still alive.

By evening, everything was ready.

A small beautiful tent stood on the hill.

The air was cold and still.

Reo… waited.

Hours passed.

She kept calling them.

Again…

and again…

But neither Jiya nor Suhan answered.

The silver glow of the moon slowly faded.

The calm night turned heavy.

Dark clouds gathered above her.

Then—

Thunder.

Lightning tore across the sky.

Rain began to fall—first softly, then violently.

Inside the tent,

Reo sat alone.

Silence wrapped around her,

but it wasn't peaceful anymore.

It was suffocating.

Her phone lay in her hand.

No messages.

No calls.

Nothing.

The clock struck twelve.

Her birthday had begun.

And she was alone.

For a moment, she didn't move.

Then slowly…

she whispered to herself—

"Happy birthday… Reo."

Her voice was soft.

Empty.

She picked up the knife

and cut the cake.

No laughter.

No clapping.

No one beside her.

Just her.

She took a bite.

It didn't taste sweet.

Another loud thunder cracked across the sky.

Reo flinched.

She was always afraid of lightning.

Always.

But tonight—

there was no one to hold her hand.

No one to tell her it would be okay.

So she sat there,

curled up inside the tent,

with fear,

with silence,

and with a loneliness

she had never truly felt before.

Reo sat quietly in the tent, her mind drifting far away…

Back to a time when she was just a child.

A birthday long ago—

a grand party, a huge house…

yet she had been completely alone.

No parents.

No warmth.

Just silence.

And then—

Jiya and Suhan had appeared.

With a small, simple cake in their hands.

They had smiled at her—

not out of formality,

but with genuine care.

"Happy Birthday!" they had said together.

That night, they made her a promise—

"No matter what happens…

we will always be with you on your birthday.

You'll never feel alone again."

Reo slowly opened her eyes.

The memory faded.

And the cold reality returned.

The lonely night passed somehow.

Morning came.

Reo walked.

For the first time in years—

without her car.

Without her driver.

Without thinking.

Her steps moved on their own…

until she found herself standing

at the gates of the college.

And then—

she saw them.

Jiya and Suhan.

Walking together.

Laughing.

Talking like nothing had ever happened.

Their eyes fell on Reo.

Both of them froze for a second—

then quickly walked toward her.

"Reo, I'm sorry," Jiya said, a little breathless.

"I couldn't pick up your calls… my phone was on silent."

Suhan nodded immediately.

"Yeah, same here. My phone was on silent too—I was at practice."

"And we were actually planning to come to your big birthday party," he added,

"But because of the rain, we couldn't make it."

Reo looked at them.

Calm.

Too calm.

"My big birthday party?" she repeated softly.

"Didn't you get my message?"

Jiya frowned slightly.

"What message? I didn't get anything…

Maybe I haven't checked yet. I'm sorry, I'll see it now—"

"No need."

Reo cut her off.

Her voice was quiet, but firm.

"We're already at college."

She gave a small smile—

one that didn't quite reach her eyes.

"I celebrated my birthday… very well."

She turned to leave.

"Wait!"

Jiya and Suhan called out together.

Reo stopped.

"Surprise!"

They smiled, trying to bring back the old warmth,

and handed her a gift.

"Happy Birthday," Jiya said softly.

Suhan added with a grin,

"Come on, today's treat is on me."

For a moment—

Everything looked normal again.

Like nothing had changed.

Like nothing had broken.

Reo looked at the gift in her hands.

Then at the two people in front of her.

Her family.

And slowly—

She started walking with them.

But deep inside—

that promise from years ago…

was already shattered.

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