Sometimes Friendship Fails

“Arthi! there is a post, go get it” Arthi's mom screamed from the kitchen.

“Ok mom!” Arthi replied.

The postman ask her to sign in the paper. After doing it she took the post and came inside the house. She noticed that the post was from her school. She opened the post, it was an invitation. she read the content in the invitation and there was a smile in her face. At last her wish of meeting her true friends is about to happen she squealed with happiness and sat on the sofa. It was reunion. She was very eager to meet Kiran and Lakshmi who helped her when she was in depression. She took her phone and was about to message Lakshmi, “Arthi, there is a wedding invitation on the table just tell me when is the reception, so that we can prepare accordingly.” Asked her mother from the kitchen as she was preparing the lunch.

“Ok mom” said Arthi. She crouched down the table and took the wedding invitation. Sitting back comfortable in the sofa she opened the invitation, the first word attracting her sense was 'Aiswarya'. Her eyes bulged out, though it was just an invitation with someone named Aiswarya, she was totally distressed. She fell back into her past, and imagined what that name had caused her.

" Can you keep a secret?" asked Arthi to her friend Aiswarya.

" Yeah, for sure " replied her friend.

Arthi is the class monitor for their class XII. She and her friend Aiswarya were very close friends. They stayed, played and studied together as they were studying in the same residential school. Arthi is a very jovial person. She never keeps anything in her mind as she is very open minded. Aiswarya likes her a lot. But she is a short-tempered person and she has certain principles to live her life. She never accepts the playful, funny things of mates as well as friends. Arthi doesn’t hide anything from her friend Aiswarya. So Arthi told the secret about the incidents of the game " Truth or Dare " which was played in their class the day before as she was absent.

" You know what! Tom and Jemi kissed each other over a dare!!! " Arthi said. Aiswarya was shocked, she scolded Arthi of her irresponsibility as a class leader. Arthi pleaded, " Aishu, Please don’t make this a big issue, please. "

Aiswarya agreed and kept her the secret with her, but she couldn't bear the incident happened in their class. Arthi loved her more than her soul. She had a special place for Aiswarya in her heart. As they were waiting for results of their board examination, the results of the exam was declared,

"Hurray! hurray! Aiswarya won with first rank! She got a Gold medal !!!!"

 Arthi rejoiced with joy and happiness. But Aiswarya started to move away from Arthi, as she was not able to accept the incidents of the game 'Truth or Dare.' While Arthi was rejoicing over the victory, Aiswarya started talking ill about her best friend to everyone. 

" Arthi is too bad.. she has affairs with so many boys..."said Aiswarya to Tittu.

" Is it ???.. " asked Tittu.

Tittu then spread this rumour to everyone in their batch. They all started to ignore her by mistaking her entire character. At the same time, Aiswarya acted as being very close to Arthi. As Arthi is open minded, she couldn't understand the behaviour of other mates of her class, ‘cause her innocence believed in everyone.

"Ma'am , Arthi allowed the students to kiss each other on your absence, Is this the responsibility of the class monitor?" she asked Pramela, a tutor of them in their residential school.

"Oh!!! What nonsense you are talking???"

"Is that true?"

"What are you blabbering?"

"Yes ! Ma’am. You can enquire anyone you want" she said. The tutor was very furious with Arthi she wasn't able to to keep mind calm in such an indecent behaviour. She was about to take an action against Arthi, but was stopped by Aiswarya saying that, “No ma’am. not now, please.” Being a favourite student to the tutor, Pramela listened to Aiswarya's words.

    Few weeks later, knowing the true nature of Aiswarya, Arthi's friend Kiran talked to Arthi.

"are you mad??" asked Kiran.

"What?? what happened??" said Arthi

"Don't you know? there are things happening around you?.

"Everyone is avoiding you. . . Arthi"

"No ..no..no.., you must be joking"

"Do whatever you want" and he left from that place. Arthi started thinking and walked aimlessly.

"Hai ! Mubi" 

Mubisina didn't react anything and passed Arthi without saying anything.

"Rashika..."

"what?" said Rashika.

"Why are you all like this?" Arthi became very upset and sat in her class alone.

   By looking her, Kiran felt bad and came near her and asked 'did you say about "Truth or Dare" which we had played last year in the class to anyone?'

" No. . . ", "Yes. . . to Aishu alone" replied Arthi

“Can’t you keep a secret with you Arthi?” "Yes! She is the one creating the entire problem. She said it to Pamela mam and informed it to our principal." he said. By hearing those things, Arthi fainted there itself. Kiran brought some water in a cup and sprinkled few drops on her face. 

 "Arthi ! Arthi! What happened? " Arthi opened her eyes and cried aloud. 

 "Don’t worry Arthi, Be very careful with Aiswarya. She had created bad rumours about you that, you are going for dating every week with many boys".

" What???"

"No! Aiswarya will never do like this. You are lying" and she went to her hostel. Had a glee to Aiswarya and she lie on the sofa closing her eyes. 

    At that time, Neenu knocked on the room in which both Aishu and Arthi stayed. Aiswarya opened the door and they Chatted for a while. She started to talk ill of Arthi.

"Neenu! Do you know one thing? "

"What? ? "

"Arthi is very bad, I hate being with her," and said many things about her thinking that Arthi was in deep sleep but Arthi was listening everything they were talking.

   It's 10.pm Arthi woke up with a new strength and hope, not to believe any human being in her life thereafter and sat on the sofa where she slept. Her heart was broken like a broken glass, but still she loved her as Aishu was close to her heart. The kind heart of her made her forgive and forget the entire matter, yet she did feel sad about the incident, she knew that this incident will remain in her heart forever.

  After two months, the sports students of their school were taken to India for the National tournament. Aiswarya and Arthi were there in the team. On first day, they conducted the indoor games like chess, carom, table tennis etc. Aiswarya won the title on the game of chess and the next day, Arthi went for 100 metres, 200 metres and 400 metres running race but she lost it in few seconds. Losing the game made her fake friends make fun of Arthi, and Neenu said "she is tired from dating with many boys" and everyone laughed aloud. 

 Arthi was totally broken she wasn't able to hold her anger any more, hence, shouted at Aiswarya 

 "you !!!... betrayed....!! Me....!!!.. you can never have a friend like me who understands you and forgive each and every mistake you make. You have hurt me so much. This is all your fault you have done enough for me. Thank you so much for doing this. I just request you not to ever enter my life again.”

Aarti went to the hostel room and cries her eyes out. After few days she vacated hostel room and went to live with her parents as she finished her schooling. Days passed she was so much broken from inside that she denied talking with anyone and remained alone for most of the time. 

“Arthi, what are you doing I asked you to tell me time for reception.” asked her mother. She was brought back into reality looking at the time for the reception she said to her mother, “5 o' clock in the evening, mom!”. She looked at the reunion invitation in her hand, and thought off all the things Aiswarya has done in her life. With all the thoughts in her mind decided not to attend the reunion. Though she wants to meet her friends very badly, Arthi felt betrayed by her only and one friend Aiswarya. She was not ready to see her. She wasn't able to forgive Aishu for what she has done. Because of her Arthi went to depression and suffered much. Hence, she decided not to attend the reunion and crumpled the invitation and threw the post in the dustbin.

   Arthi's mom after finishing her works, came and sat near and asked, “Dear, what was in the post, “ Oh! nothing mom, it’s just an advertisement paper for college admission.”

“Ohh, ok ok dear!” said her mom and went to her room. Arthi looks at the dustbin in which she had crumbled the invitation and threw and thinks about the pain that she had gone through.