Nothing lasts forever is a Indian fiction story about a girl, Niharika, who entered college more confident and more attractive, because of the makeover by her sister's friends. She met the sweet, shy Tanmay, and the spoilt but lovely Priya and they became best friends. And wheAkshat and she began dating, life finally seemed to be falling in place

EXCEPT THAT IT WASN"T
Nothing lasts forever is a touching story of friendship, love and betrayal.

Special regards to @kristinaroush for the helping hand.

Panic

'All right. It isn't going to be that bad. You're just getting paranoid,' I tell myself for the millionth times and take a deep breath in ad slowly let it out.

I have never managed to keep myself interested in myself, forget about anybody else. Over the years, the growing disinterest that people show towards me has turned me vengeful and I, in turn have no interest in anybody at all. And that disinterest is etched all over my face,accompanied by the big FUCK OFF sign pasted on my forehead.

Point is, for the next one week, I am supposed to be surrounded by girls who are...well girls. That is not to say that I am not a girl. Of course I am. I mean, if we go by the physical attributes that I am blessed with. I could have been a little more endowed at certain parts of my body, though that's off the topic.

I have always been pretty good at academics and I, somehow, always felt at home being surrounded by books. It was the tenth standard and I was engrossed i my dreams of scoring the maximum in the board examination. Then Piyush happened. Piyush, the wide-eyed rich boy in school noticed me. He was charming,had a way with words and was the most coveted company in school. The way he held my hand on the last bench of the class, ad told me how I had the prettiest eyes in the whole world melted my teenage heart. I was too naive and loved him to bits. I have to admit, he made me feel like a girl.!

Three months later, I realized my responsibilities as a girlfriend which ranged from completing all his assignments to forging his attendance in classes. No ice creams, no small bits of love notes exchanged during the class, no loving glances shot across the school campus, and surely no dates.

A month later, he was holding someone else's hand and saying the same things to her.

I was crushed. I thought I would never forgive him but he had made me feel like I had never feel before, so now I think I have. He was my first experience with love and though it ended on a bad note, I don't hold it very much against him. Eventually, I did bad in boards.

My father was a government employee for the first fifteen years of his career. My grandfather, a lawyer with the local government, had died a premature death - a heart attack - when he was only forty-three. Dad was only eighteen then and the eldest in a family of three sisters and two brothers.

Just before I was born, he joined a local university as a professor, having done the rest of his studies through correspondence and evening college. Things have been better since he wants a better future for both Simran, my older sister and me. Simran is already on her way. She was always interested in English literature and wet off to Delhi to study. We have no doubts that she will be doing her Master's from Oxford on a full scholarship next year.

Meanwhile, my future was in shambles when Piyush left. The tenth standard board results were more disappointing for my father than they were for me, not that he ever let it show.

'I have let you down, Dad. I don't know what to do. I will never be as good as Simran. I am sorry. I am...........'

'Come here,' he said ad hugged me.
I don't know how much I was moved, but I was all in tears. The very next day, I found myself neck deep in my books again. I cracked the admission test for Bansal's coaching academy and left for Kota to prepare for IIT-JEE and to complete my 12th from a dummy school there.

My mother ever wanted me to go but eventually, after a lot of pleading and cajoling, she let me go. There, I was too busy with my coaching classes and late night studies to have time for love. So after Piyush, there was no one. I sometimes do wish that someone had been there for me. Like when I watch a romantic movie where everything is perfect in the end. Or listen to a Bryan Adams song. That's when I think I need someone to wrap me in his arms, say the sweetest things, and make me feel like a girl. But otherwise, I don't think I need a guy to complete me.

But then, who would want to take me out? I am that skinny girl from school, who sat on the first bench, wearing her thick glasses, always immersed i her boos, religiously noting down everything taught in the class. The kind that you never hear speak, unless it is to answer a teacher's question, or when she is on stage, presenting a debate or an extempore speech.

That's me. Niharika Sarma - the girl that doesn't exist.

To be continued