On a Sunday morning, I sat in my room and journaled my fresh thoughts into my diary. I heard Mom calling out my name “Krati! You got some letters.”
My mother handed over the letters to me and I opened the glue seal with a scale.
I found three birthday invitations in the letters: Hazel, Tara, and Amaya.
I looked over to the dates and realized all three birthdays were on the same date. I finally decided that I will accept all three invitations.

The next day
I was standing near the cupboard, face submerged into my ocean of clothes, trying to find a lavender-colored dress.
Finally, I found the dress, completely hidden in the winter clothing section. Standing in front of a mirror, looking at the dress a trillion times, I couldn’t stop myself from noticing how beautifully it shaped my curves. After the self-obsessing session was over, I hurriedly put on black boots and began my journey.
I first visited Hazel’s birthday party, held in The Met Cloisters, New York, famous for its breathtaking scenery.
I knocked at the door, opened by a man in his late twenties, wearing a blue checkered shirt and casual jeans with a matching bandana on his wrist. He glanced over at me and asked, “Hey! You here for Hazel’s party?”.
I smiled and nodded at his question.
He motioned for me to enter, I glanced over the villa, surprised by the beauty and luxury all over.
We entered the main hall where the grand party was held, my eyes searched for Hazel, and saw her talking to several guests.
I squeezed my way towards her through the crowd. Noticing me Hazel passed a smile and quickly hugged me. I handed her the expensive present I bought for her, using half of my savings to impress her. She hardly glanced at the gift and placed it beside other presents on the round golden table.
I wanted to see her reaction on unwrapping the gift as I devoted my blood… sweat… and tears to purchase that present.
Hazel was too busy to notice my presence.

I felt like an abandoned toy, sitting quietly near a dusty box.

Tears rolled down my cheeks, unknowingly I found myself walking out of the crowd to the exit.

Reaching another destination, arriving at Tara’s house. The place was not filled with jewels but peace.
She lived in an old-fashioned house, her mother baked a chocolate cake, her little brother, Joe, held a handmade letter. Tara read out the letter smiling from ear to ear and hugged him tightly.
Her father entered the house with a gift wrapped in newspaper, she grabbed the gift and excitedly opened it, there was a brown-colored diary with a bottle of black ink. She jumped into her father's arms, thanked him, and pecked his cheek. As I stood watching this beautiful scene, Tara glanced at me and surprisingly hugged me. I wished her well and handed her a small present with a red color wrap.
The gift revealed an expensive set of Victoria’s Secret perfume. She apologizingly stared at me and refused the gift.
“Tara! It’s the most expensive brand of perfume, why are you refusing it?”
Tara replied, “Sweetheart, I don’t require such luxury items, I'm sorry but I can't accept it”.
I first tried to argue with her but I noticed that she was more interested in the old journal with only a few unused pages left, and I dropped the idea to persist anymore.

I felt like an extra piece of a jigsaw in an already completed puzzle.
Arriving at the final destination, Amaya’s house.
I reached the door, I was about to ring the doorbell, but I couldn’t hear any party noise or music from the mansion.
I thought I came to the wrong address but decided to ring the bell anyway. To my surprise, Amaya opened the door, passed a gorgeous smile, and warmly hugged me.
She motioned me to sit at the two-seater tables on the terrace side There were two cups filled with hot coffee and bowls of vegetable noodles. A few letters were on the table with four pastel colour pens.
“Did I arrive late? Everybody left so soon?” I asked.
Amaya replied “No silly! I invited only you.”
Just invited me? So… while I was busy attending so many other parties and trying to fit in, someone was patiently waiting for my presence?
“Here is your gift Amaya!”
Amaya suddenly laughed out loud.
Confused, I stared at her.
She pulled me into a tight hug and made me sit beside her chair. She did not explain the reason for her laughter but insisted that I have a meal with her.
While gulping down perfectly cooked noodles with a cup of coffee, I touched the letters lying on the table and opened the first letter with my name written in the sender’s section.