Chapter 2: Invisible Celebrations

The most absurd part was that Kabir’s birthday happened to fall on the same day as mine, but I had no idea.

Fate's cruel joke, I thought, as if the world wanted to twist the knife just a little deeper.

On my birthday, after evening study, the class prefect asked everyone to stay back.

I thought for a moment—maybe, just maybe, they remembered my birthday too. Hope flickered briefly in my chest.

Then, some classmates turned off the tube lights, and everyone began singing the birthday song together.

In the darkness, surrounded by familiar voices, I felt something loosen inside me. For once, it felt like I belonged.

In that moment, my tears broke free, my cheeks flushed, every inch of my skin warmed by the attention.

My throat tightened, and I tried to blink away the tears. I hadn't felt such warmth in a long time.

But when the lights came back on, I realised all the eyes, all the singing, had never been meant for me.

Kabir stood in the centre, grinning, as the crowd clapped and cheered for him. I was just another face in the background, invisible again.

My burning tears instantly froze with embarrassment.

I wiped my face, hoping nobody had noticed. My hands shook as I gathered my books, wishing the floor would swallow me up then and there.

I slipped out quietly. Behind me, the chorus of 'Happy Birthday' faded, but the ache in my chest only grew louder.

Outside, the corridor was deserted. I leaned against the cold wall, listening to the celebration inside. The sound of laughter, clinking plates, and Bollywood songs drifted through the open window. It felt like I had been left behind on the platform, watching a train speed away.

Inside, the laughter and celebration echoed behind me for a long, long time…

Even in the stairwell, I could hear the chorus of 'Happy Birthday' fading into the night. The taste of disappointment was sharp as amla on my tongue.

After that, I truly began to feel inferior. I avoided people, stopped talking, hated school, and grew afraid of crowds…

My world shrank to the four walls of my room. I found excuses to skip class, pretended to have stomach aches, faked headaches, even tried to convince Ma that I needed a doctor. But nothing dulled the ache inside.

I skipped classes, wandered aimlessly, vanished for days, and gave up on myself…

Sometimes I'd roam the colony's narrow lanes, watching stray dogs fight over scraps, or stare at the sunset from the broken swing in the park. I felt invisible—like a ghost haunting my own life.