Road Not Taken ✔

Chapter 49

So, it is almost one month since we returned from Manali. Today it is 31 January . Boards are nearing but that has not faded the excitement for farewell party. Yes! Today we are having our school farewell party. Past week went in selecting saree , matching accessories , sandals etc. Taniya, Cherry and I shopped everything together. Well, did I tell you all about  the parlour treatment . Yesterday Cherry and Taniya took me to the parlour along with them. The manicure, facial made me feel like a princess but I like always this time too I hated eye brow making and wax. Argh...why so much pain to maintain beauty.

So, Today I am getting ready for my farewell . My mom is making the plates of my saree and I am getting shy like a bride , I don't know why may be because this day is too special for me .Since my middle school I have dreamt to attend my school farewell because wearing saree has always fascinated me . Today I am wearing a black saree with golden border and matching golden blouse . My mom also did my make up today  with foundation , blusher , red lipstick and mascara. After that I wore matching golden sandals.

Then Cherry came to pick me up in her car . Taniya will reach school directly as she getting ready in some beauty parlour .So,  Cherry and I  reach the  school. Cherry wore an emerald green saree while Taniya wore a Turquoise blue saree. Both my friends are looking pretty. Some juniors of class 11 escorted us towards the senior wing auditorium  being good junior hosts of the farewell party and as a sign of  courtesy.

Taniya , Cherry and I sit together . After 10 minutes the function started . Prisha and Sophie of class11 did anchoring . The juniors gave us our  respective  tags with our section and roll number written on them  to tuck on the upper  right side of  our blouse  shoulder .  Various dance performances were dedicated to our  batch, the leaving batch. Then section wise ramp walk of class 12 started. I was nervous to walk in heel and saree because I am wearing  saree for the first time ever  but Taniya somehow  encouraged me . So, I , Taniya and Cherry did the ramp walk with our classmates.

After the ramp walk was done. The anchor announced A6 ( Section A of class 12 , roll no. 6),C4 , D9 , D6 ,E4, F7,C5 , A9, F3, C23,B4,E 34, C14. Taniya shrilled in my ear " D6 it's you Diya , go girl you got selected ". Hearing Taniya my heart started  beating faster. Cherry said" Diya chill just walk confidently and the job is done ". I nodded in response and I went on the stage for final ramp show. I  walked confidently but from inside I was so nervous that my legs were shaking out of fear .But I didn't let this fear show on my face . Finally we were asked to stop walking . Thank god I don't need to walk anymore because these heels are ready to bite my poor feet now.

As I was paying mercy to my feet the anchor spoke "Amrita Singhal, Navya Sinha, Ruchi Sharma, Diya Malhotra , Parul Mishra, Stacy Robin, Tanvi Arora, Akshi Raj, Divya Aggarwal, Laura William got selected for the next round .So, selected  beautiful ladies line up for the Questionnaire round". I and other girls who got selected lined up for the questionnaire round . To my luck Ruchi the devil is standing next to me.

After a few minutes a girl came with a bowl of chits .Then all the selected girls were asked to pick one chit each . Ruchi picked up the chit and then it was my turn  to pick the chit but Ruchi the devil poke her elbow to my waist without the notice of anyone else and  I lost my balance a bit because of Ruchi's elbow nudge . But I was saved from the embarrassment  of tumbling because my sweet friend saved me.No it was not Taniya or Cherry who saved me because they were sitting in the audience since they were not selected . So, who saved me, make a guess. Okay...Ok I am telling the name , it was Divya my childhood friend who saved me as she was next to me on my other side.

I thanked Divya through my eyes .Although these days I am not at all in touch with Divya but still she  saved me today , I guess this is what a friend is ,who  care about you, who help you regardless of the fact  that  you meet him on daily basis or not. Divya and I are still friends although we now belong to different group of Friends respectively and amazingly still  I and Divya don't have any bad blood between us .

I  then picked up my chit . Soon the questionnaire round began . One by one everyone opened their chit , spoke the question asked through the chit and answered the question respectively  .The whole time I was trying to calm my nerves and I heard nobody except Divya and Ruchi the devil .

Divya : What will you do if your best friend makes another bunch of friends excluding  you?

Divya: Thanks for the question . So.....I  will give my bestie the freedom to choose her own friends .Because I believe friendship is from soul and heart , you don't need to be with your friend physically to show your friendship but rather you should  keep that bestie in your prayers and that is enough. I will let my bestie make new friends and I will too make new friends and I  will move on but  I  will always keep my bestie in my prayers for sure ".

I  wanted to hug Divya after hearing her answer but I controlled my urge because it would look odd to hug her in between  of  the questionnaire round .Then it was Ruchi's turn. I wanted to ignore her totally but the question was interesting so  I  kept my  ear to hear  Ruchi's answer .

Ruchi: Who will you never forget in your school life ?

Ruchi: I will never forget my rival Diya .I mean she is  a rival to me  in studies, sports and every other thing .I hate you Diya because you are a competition to me in everything. But do you know Diya, I hate losing , I always want  to win in everything . When you became my rival I felt insecure, I hated you for making me lose in competitions, my heart ached when you stood first and I stood second in exams or competitions . May  be  because of my competitiveness I felt jealous of you. This my nature , I cannot change myself at all. I will always be jealous of you and I will hate you forever because I LOVE TO HATE YOU" but  remember  Diya you are like salt in my life whose presence I never noticed but whose absence bothered me .So , My dear rival Diya I will remember you , I will hate you but I won't forget you'.

Then it was my turn, I opened my chit with  my  shaky  hands  and  I read it  .

Me:" Which career path will you choose for yourself ? The one paved by your parents , created by society due to practicality OR the one which is made out of heart and emotions but it is bit impractical and foolish in sense of practical world" ?

Me :" I will choose what my heart says because your own mind can play games but your heart can never lie to your soul .To me it does not matter whether  my choice is impractical because to me my  own peace and happiness matters rather than the  money and other luxuries" .

After that results  were announced . Divya got the tittle of" Miss Diligent", Laura William got "Miss Beautiful Smile" tag, Tanvi Arora got "Miss Nightingale" tittle and I got the tittle of "Miss All Rounder" .

I just can't still believe I won this honourable tittle. After clicking the photos with principal and we got off the stage , I could see Ruchi stamping her foot in frustration because she could not earn a tittle for herself. I must say competitiveness is good but over competitiveness is bad because it makes you jealous , greedy and full of hatred . Well anything in excess is bad as it harms a person instead of  providing  benefit .

After that all the students of Class 11 and Class 12 were given a special lunch. The food was great after all it was fed with love as all our class 11 juniors had contributed all the money for food and all other arrangements of the farewell party including décor, DJ and specials props for the photoshoot .

After feasting food Cherry , Taniya and I  took group photos of 3 of  us, after taking pictures and selfies together , we took special props and we clicked funny photos with props including moustache prop, funny  wigs , funny masks etc.

By the end of the  farewell all were emotional .I too hugged my friends several times because soon we will start different journeys of our life but  we  have promised each other to be in touch." GOOD BYES  ARE NEVER  EASY BUT SOME GOOD BYES ARE   A  GATEWAY TO NEW ADVENTURES OF LIFE".

I hope I and my friends do well in board exams , I am eager to start a new life after school .I hope everything goes well . With  mixed bag of emotions of happiness , sorrow, excitement and nervousness this special day of my life ends .

**********CHAPTER  ENDS**********