He didn’t realise his eyes were moist with tears until his vision was completely blurred. The picture he was looking at couldn’t be implausible, but surprising nevertheless. Was it who he thought it was or was it merely a wretched trick played on him by his mind and heart? Could this really happen?

He was looking at the pictures of one his close friend’s birthday party that were promptly uploaded the day after; today. A party he was invited to, but couldn’t make it due to some pressing work commitments. Not that he was particularly looking forward to it. Weren’t these the same friends who’d questioned and cross-questioned him when he was…. Never mind now.

As he shifted from one picture to another his mind kept racing from the past to the present and back. The party was planned as a reunion of sorts. These were his friends; the ones he shared a room and life with in college days. They ogled at girls together and got in trouble for their alcohol-induced misbehaviour together. They screwed and covered up for each other. Their gang was unmatched and unparalleled. What a life it was!

Most pictures of the party predominantly captured the assorted bottles of their beloved brands (which weren’t affordable in college days) to make the hearts of the likes of him to burn and turn to ash. He’d have missed it easily in all this frenzy had his friends known better than that, but it had to happen. A deliberate capturing of the ‘hot chick’ sitting on the table to their right would’ve been avoided if they had knowledge of who she was.

She was his girlfriend he technically never broke up with; his passion at one time and his weakness at another.