How to lose a friend in a year.
Do nothing; the fake ones will always leave.

Sometimes, people we thought would weep the most at our funeral would fade away from our lives and become strangers—no hugs, no goodbyes. The one who cared the most would live the rest of their life inside that memory, savouring both the sweetness and bitterness of the past, haunted by the ghost of their beloved. They might find that ghost lurking in the most random places in broad daylight—grocery stores, train stations, restaurants—and the ghost would just walk away—no smiles, no small talk.
 
When Himani first set foot in Aldridge-Heaton, she knew she would not fit in that easily. Everyone there was from another realm, which she was not familiar with. Everything was different, from the clothes that the other students wore to the jokes they told each other. They were the cool kids that you see on your Instagram feed, enjoying their luxurious lives with their swanky cars and sumptuous vacations, which would make you feel like a worthless insect. They would shoot condemning looks at Himani and the other scholarship students as they walked through the hallways. The bullying wasn't always forthright; it was often very subtle—like judgmental looks, and backhanded compliments. Some would just say things to Himani's face like,

'You'd look much better in a Chanel tweed jacket than whatever you're wearing.'

'Are you wearing the same loafers every day? They are pretty, though.' 
 
They served exotic foods in the cafeteria that she had never heard of, yet she longed for the mouthwatering dumplings from McLeodganj. She missed Dharamshala every passing minute. The only thing that she liked during her first few weeks in Aldridge-Heaton was her dorm room, with windows that opened to a picturesque view of the beautiful mountains. 

Then Mahi Taneja came into her life like an angel. She was one of the most conventionally attractive girls Himani has ever seen, with a slender body, thick, long, wavy hair, and fuller lips. She often wondered why the beautiful daughter of India's number-one law firm's owner wanted to be friends with her. Later, she realised they had more in common. Mahi Taneja was brought up in a strict household, unlike most of the other students. She was the only child of her parents and wasn't exposed to the luxuries the other students enjoyed, like partying and foreign trips, she wasn't a compulsive buyer of branded stuff and never lived inside the realm of social media. So she gelled better with a person similar to her—Himani. It was difficult for Himani to follow the International Baccalaureate syllabus since she was a CBSE student, but Mahi helped her through that tough phase.
 
Mahi had a secret crush on Ehan; it was so obvious, but Ehan was already in a secret relationship with Himani, and she was torn between the two of them. She could not tell Mahi that she was in a relationship with Ehan, and Mahi never told her that she liked Ehan.
 
Mahi would make a special playlist for Himani. She was the one who introduced Himani to a lot of artists, like The Smiths and Radiohead. They would hang out in Himani's room after school, watching Korean dramas and horror movies. 
 
"Till the end of the line. Mahi and Mani forever." Mahi once wrote on a post it note in reference to Captain America and Winter Soldier's friendship.
 
Claptrap!
 
It lasted one year, or less than one year. The dynamic between them changed after Mahi went on a vacation in Greece with Zara Gul, Akshat Menon, and Ehan Kapur. Himani came to know about it only through Mahi's Instagram stories. She was shattered. Her best friend, or the person she thought to be her best friend, went on a vacation with other students and didn't even bother to tell her.
 
When the school reopened after the summer holidays, Mahi Taneja was a changed person in every aspect. Her style, her hair, and even the way she talked had changed. She refused to hang out with Himani, saying some reasons like she was tired or busy. She became more distant from Himani with each passing day, like a space probe drifting away from Earth. She got a new boyfriend, and she started hanging out with Akshat's vile friends circle a bit too much. Her Instagram followers skyrocketed as she was seen vacationing and hanging out with actress Samara Kapur's brother, former cricketer Amir Gul's daughter, and director Ravi Menon's son. Who would want to get down from that cloud nine? Once you get sucked into the whirlwind of being famous, you'll never want to get out.
 
Just like that, Mahi Taneja became a ghost who came to haunt Himani in her nightmares every night. 
 
Now, two years later, Himani was standing in front of the room where they were counting the votes after the school president election, watching Mahi hug Ehan tightly. Akshat lifted him up as the other students clapped and cheered him on for the victory. Mani felt her heart soaked in kerosene and was being lit up by the two people who she used to like in the past. No, it was not because she lost the elections.
 
The warmth of Lily's palm found her as she slowly slid her hand into Himani's. 'I'm sorry. I shouldn't have forced you.' Lily's voice was feeble.
 
'You don't have to feel sorry. You just pushed me out of my comfort zone. That's what real friends do.' Himani clutched her hand tightly; she feared that Lily would also slip away if she loosened her grip. But one thing she didn't know was that Lily would never leave Mani. 
 
The fluffy and murky clouds loomed above Dalhousie that evening, waiting for the perfect chance to pour down. Himani Arora was expecting Kedar Nath to show up for the study session at the library. He was already fifteen minutes late when he arrived at the library. 
 
'You're late.' She said as he placed his textbook and iPad on the table and sat down. 
 
His cream-coloured shirt made a ruffling noise against the wooden surface of the chair as he planted himself opposite her. 'Sorry.' He replied casually.
 
'Shall we begin?' She enquired.
 
Kedar glanced around the library. 'Where are the others?'
 
'There are no others today.' She nodded her head. 
 
'It's just the two of us, then?'
 
'Well, there are three others in this group. I don't know if they'll show up today. They hardly do.' She replied and riffled through the pages. A wind blew through the open window next to them, tousling her wispy hair, indicating it would rain anytime. The icy wind stole warmth from everything it touched. She tightly wrapped her coffee-coloured coat around her body.
 
'You're wearing linen in this climate?' Her brows drew together.
 
'It's not even that cold.' He said and continued to look through the textbook. 
 
Outside, it had already begun to drizzle.
 
'Tell me, which are the chapters you need to learn?' She asked, and he dragged the thick textbook across the table to show her the modules that he needed to be taught. 
 
Almost half an hour later, the rain intensified, and the wind picked up a seething pace.
 
Kedar looked up from his iPad, pausing his writing midway. 'What's the deal between you and Mahi Taneja?' 
 
She looked up from the book, her eyes blazing with a strange kind of confusion and shock. It was the first time Kedar actually realised how sharp and fiery her eyes were. It was enough to ignite a sliver of spark inside him.
 
'What?' She asked as if she had misheard him.
 
'Today in math class, I saw you refusing to be partners with her to do the assignment.' 
 
'Why don't you ask your friend?' She gave him a fake, annoyed smile. 
 
The strong wind rattled the open windows and made the white curtains irritatingly sway back and forth.
 
'Did she steal your boyfriend or something?' The corner of his lips formed a playful smile. 'Because you seem pretty annoyed when you're around her.'
 
'Close the windows, children.' The librarian shouted to a few of the students present in the library. 'We don't want broken windows now, do we?'
 
'God, you're such a nosey guy.' Himani stood up and walked to the windows, and Kedar followed.
 
'Can't help. I just love tea.' She shrugged and walked to the windows with both hands inside his pockets. 
 
Himani had closed the first window and moved on to the other one. And the wind had gotten much stronger. 'God, there are so many.' Kedar said as he surveyed the number of windows in the room. 
 
They moved from one window to another after closing each one. The window panes rattled under the sturdy wind, and beads of rainwater trickled down the glass panes. The wind got more fierce as they moved on to the last window. Himani struggled to shut the window, her hand stretching to pull it against the force of the wind. 
 
'Could you move a bit?' Kedar said and tried to help her close the window, while she grabbed the curtain with the another hand, stopping it from falling into their faces. Himani's eyes slowly darted to Kedar, who stood inches away, towering over her—drenched in rain, and strands of hair stuck to his forehead. They both exerted their strength against the wind, successfully closing the window with a thud, shutting out the sound of rain outside. 
 
They both settled opposite each other on the window bench. Kedar leaned his head against the wall. 'Have you got an umbrella?'
 
'No,' she replied.
 
'Bollocks! That means I'm stuck here with you until the rain is over. Good heavens!'
 
'Oy, I'm the one who has to be concerned. I can't stand you even for a second.'
 
'Keep me entertained with your life stories,' he said. 'Will ya?'
 
'How about you tell me your fuckups? Oh, you can't? Can you?' She rolled her eyes.

'Ok then, I'll go first. I've sired an illegitimate heir to the throne. Now your turn.' He said, to which Himani nodded her head in incredulity.

They both spent another five minutes without bickering until Himani broke the silence. 'She was my...' 
 
'Huh?' Kedar averted his gaze from the window.
 
She gulped down before she spoke again. 'Mahi was my best friend, or I thought so. Until she found the current friend group of hers.' 
 
'What went wrong?' His voice softened.
 
'I don't know.' Her voice was brittle, like a chalk piece. 'I've never asked her.' She chuckled, trying to hide her pain. 'Maybe I wasn't as shiny as her new friends.'
 
'That sucks.' 
 
Her gaze lowered. 'I don't care if you tell this to her or not.'
 
'I won't. I'm not a newsmonger.' 
 
'Whatever. The rain is over now.' She said as she looked out of the window. 'Go back to your dorm, frog prince.'