Finding you in the crowd

As wedding functions started one after another — mehendi, haldi, sangeet — Deepika stayed silent.

She didn't call, didn't send a message.

She waited, deep down, thinking — "Maybe Renu will notice. Maybe she'll ask."

But Renu didn't.

She didn't call, didn't check in.

Maybe she thought Deepika was busy.

Maybe… she assumed too.

And Deepika?

She felt hurt — deeply.

Not just by the party, not just by the cousin.

But by the silence.

"If after all these years, she didn't notice I was missing… maybe I never mattered as much as I thought."

And just like that, without a fight, without words…

Their friendship ended.

⸻

No Questions, No Explanations

Renu got married.

Pictures were posted online — the bright lehenga, joyful smiles, dancing relatives — everything looked perfect.

Except one thing was missing:

Deepika.

And no one asked why.

Renu never called to ask, "Why weren't you there?"

Deepika never explained, "Why I couldn't come."

Both moved on in life.

But a small ache remained — buried, unsaid.

⸻

Years Later…

Sometimes, when Deepika looks through her old photo albums,

she finds pictures with Renu — laughing over silly things, hugging in school uniforms, dressing up for college fests.

She smiles… but there's a sting.

She wonders,

"Was it really such a small thing that it ruined everything?"

Or…

"Was that bond already slipping, and I just didn't see it coming?"

⸻

What Really Hurt

It wasn't the cousin.

It wasn't the party.

It wasn't even the fact that Renu got busy.

What truly hurt was that no one said anything.

No one paused to ask, "Are you okay?"

No one tried to fix what was breaking — quietly, slowly, painfully.

⸻

The Truth About Old Friendships

Some friendships don't end with big fights.

They end in silence.

They end when one person feels replaced…

And the other doesn't notice.

They end when the distance becomes normal…

And no one dares to cross it.

That's what happened with Deepika and Renu.

⸻

A Final Thought

Deepika never hated Renu.

She still wishes her well, still hopes she's happy in her marriage.

But she also wishes —

"She had just asked me once… 'Why weren't you there?'"

Sometimes, a single question could save years of friendship.

But when no one asks,

The silence becomes the answer.

And in that silence,

Even the strongest bonds break.

⸻

The End

But not forgotten.