Chapter 1: The Day Became Special (12th April – The Beginning)
Hi ABcD,
As soon as you start reading this, I know you’re already guessing what’s going on. Yes, this is your surprise. And yes, I’m writing this, even though I’m usually more into memes than metaphors.
You read books by international authors with complicated plots and fancy names. But today, on your 24th birthday, you’re reading something even rarer – a limited edition original from your very own “mandatory local author” – me. Read it till the end and then you decide: is it a blog, a letter, a love note, or just one long nostalgia trip?
I decided to put this all down in writing because, knowing you, I wanted to give you something you’d actually want to sit down with, eagerly wait for the next line, and maybe even get a little teary (or cringe, let’s be honest). Since you’re a bookworm, I thought, “Why not convey my love in the language she loves most—words?” Yes, it might be corny, but hey, the nation wants to know.
Chapter 2: The First Glimpse (2016)
Before 2016, April 12th was just another day on the calendar. But after 2016, everything changed.
The day the girl who changed my life was born—and not just born, but also entered my world like a plot twist.
Let’s rewind.
I had just completed my secondary schooling and joined a new school for higher secondary—her school, where she had been a star student since LKG. Basically, the school was your second home, and I was the new one figuring out the class seating system. I sat in the first bench.
On my first day, I didn’t even know she existed. But the teachers did—oh, they knew. One after another, they’d ask her why she didn’t choose Biology. I turned back to see this mysterious girl getting all the attention. That’s when I noticed her—sitting on the second-to-last bench with short hair tied up and a flower clipped in. To me, just another girl. But to the school? A legend.
Then came that dramatic announcement from Martin: “Who’s the highest scorer in 10th?”
And the backbenchers roared: “ABARNA – 493 or 494!!” (Sorry, I forgot the exact number, but above 490 somewhere in that range.)
That’s when my head turned properly. “Wait… I remember thinking, Wait, the topper is sitting in the second-last row? .The mystery deepened.
Chapter 3: The First Words
Days passed. I knew her name from attendance calls. Sometimes I’d see her in the mornings when she dropped her lunch bag off at the front of the class. I saw her confidently answer questions in class. Lunch breaks—quick flashes of her washing her hands or walking to the restroom. No words exchanged. Just passing glances.
Then one afternoon, as school ended, I saw you walking alone toward the auto stand. That’s when I finally spoke up.
—our first conversation
“Hi, sister,” I said (don’t laugh… I panicked, okay?!).
You smiled back. “Hi.”
“Where are you from?”
“Pondicherry.”
“Oh cool, near Auroville here,” I replied nervously.
“Okay, bye! My auto’s here!” you said and ran off, waving with that iconic smile.
Her auto friends greeted her with jokes and laughter. It felt like a scene from a feel-good teen movie.
And just like that, the silence was broken. Slowly, day by day, we started talking outside the school. It wasn’t much—but it was something.
From that day on, we started talking after school—small chats while walking toward our respective autos and vans. Then it turned into morning and evening hellos. One day, she introduced me to her 10th grade friend, Sujitha. They shared the same auto. We never spoke in class, but outside school? That’s where the real friendship began.
Chapter 4: The Attendance Gods (And the Kodaikanal Trip)
One fine day, our names ended up next to each other in the attendance list. It was the best twist of fate. From then on, whether it was lab class, assembly, or some random function in the auditorium—we were together.
And then came the best plot point: The School Tour to Kodaikanal.
I asked her if she was going—she wasn’t sure, needed to ask her parents.
Next day: “I’m in!”
And once again, the miracle of alphabetical attendance order brought us together—on the bus, during activities, everywhere.
Boom. Destiny sealed.
That trip was just three days, but it gave us a thousand memories. From campfires to room chats, from random giggles to the moment —it all brought us closer. I met your 10th-grade gang—Sujitha, BJ, Magizhini, Keerthana, Bavithra. You introduced me with that sweet pride.
Somewhere on a highway bus stop, I found out you loved Milkybar. I bought one for you, and your eyes lit up like I’d gifted you the moon. You even gave me a bit of it—probably the most generous Nobel-level act of that tour.
I still remember how much you enjoyed the visit to the Kodaikanal Radio Station. That place made you smile in a different way. I noticed.
Chapter 5: The Physics Bond and Bit-Paper Conversations
Afterwards, we went back to our outside-of-school chatting routine. Eventually, her gang became close to me. Her friends added me on WhatsApp (sadly, AB wasn’t on WhatsApp yet), but we connected on Facebook. Me through my mom’s account, her through her sister’s.
We didn’t talk much in class… until lab hours came to our rescue. —again, thank you attendance order gods. Especially physics lab—our absolute favorite. That’s where we talked about everything. Life, silly things, serious things. Sometimes just one look and we’d start laughing.
Random notes on bits of paper, scribbled songs, shared lunch, quiet caring, playful fights—we were becoming something more than friends. Somewhere between front and back benches, we found our rhythm.
Then came our second “meetup”—a beach outing, where she arrived with her mom and sister. We didn’t get to talk much, but it meant the world to see her outside school again.
Chapter 6: Birthdays & Milkybars
April 12th, 2017 – it’s her! first birthday with me in her life. I gave her a watch and a box of strawberry Milky bars. That was my way of saying “you matter” without actually saying it. We were awkward teens with overflowing hearts and underdeveloped vocabulary.
Chapter 7: The Gang & The Goodbye
Time passed. We entered 12th grade. During summer break, we exchanged memes (the golden era of memes, not the chaotic ones we have now). She’d come online at random times—whenever she got her phone. It was like catching a rare Pokémon.
School resumed. Our gang solidified—Sakthi, PD, Savitha, Faru, you, me, and later Suve. Tamil class brought us even closer—sharing food, notes, scribbled bits of paper with song lyrics and inside jokes. From street-talkers to best friends, we evolved. We fought a lot too. But I don’t even remember why. Must’ve been silly things that made our bond stronger.
One day, Sakthi and I even came to your home to surprise you before a parents-teachers meeting. That memory still glows.
Exams came. Time flew. Then came April 6, 2018—our last school day. I didn’t realize that’d be the last time I’d see her in that uniform.
Chapter 8: College Life, Distance & WhatsApp Miracles
We joined different colleges—me in Chennai, her in Pondicherry. We didn’t see each other for 8-9 months. Then came a brief reunion at Sakthi’s birthday. She dropped by after her CA class. We talked, took selfies, and I fed her biryani (I mean, that’s true friendship right there).
We entered our long-distance friendship phase. It was tough. I missed seeing her. She invited me to her brother’s wedding, but I couldn’t attend.
Then came the turning point 2020— Her brother gifted her a phone. Boom! she got your own phone! Finally, my girl was on WhatsApp. That was a moment to celebrate. Morning greetings became our ritual. Night calls were our therapy. 15 minutes – 2 hours calls weren’t rare anymore. We shared pictures, stories, dreams.
Lockdown hit—and that’s when I discovered my girl is an artist. “This is Mandala art,” she said, proudly showing off her kolams (which honestly, could’ve been in a gallery). She took up reading. It became her escape, her therapy, her identity. Book reviews started pouring in. She created her own cozy little reading corner on Instagram. And then books. So many books. You read, reviewed, and posted. Your world grew—and I saw you growing with it.
Even I started reading—miracles do happen!
Chapter 9: The Beach Reunion & Real-World Struggles
From 2018 to 2022, we didn’t meet. Then finally, after three and a half years, we saw each other again. A two-hour beach meetup—because of course, in Pondicherry, the beach is the official hangout spot. It’s basically the second home for all Pondicherrian kids.
I got a job in Chennai. She stayed back, managing her family’s food business with dedication and grace. She’s always been the kind who puts family first. Even when she faced personal losses, she stayed strong. She’s been through heartbreaks and unimaginable grief, but books saved her. Stories saved her. And somehow, she kept saving herself, one page at a time.
But life threw hard times at you. Losses. Pain. Grief. I saw you go through the worst and survive it with strength.
Even when we couldn’t talk often, I always believed we’d come back to each other. And we did.
Chapter 10: Present Day – Still Pookie, Always There
After 2023, we grew apart a bit—career, life, responsibilities. We met again in 2024, determined never to let our last conversation be the last. We promised to try, to keep showing up, even if life got busy, we’ll never let our bond fade away. 2025 came, and with it, a renewed effort to stay close.
Now it’s 2025.
And today, it’s your 24th birthday. Your 24th trip around the sun.
Since 2016, this is only the second birthday we’re celebrating together. All the others went by with WhatsApp statuses and Insta stories.
From classmates to street talkers to WhatsApp night owls… we’ve come so far.
Final Chapter: A Gift That Stays
To make this day even more special… I have something for her.
But today? I wanted to do something real. Something unforgettable.
So here it is.
🎉abstorycorner.com is now officially yours.
A little corner of the internet just for you—where you can share your reviews, thoughts, stories, maybe even your mandala art. This is your space now. Your platform. Your voice.
I know you’ll make this grow, because that’s what you do. You grow. You rise. You inspire.
Your pookie, poriki naaye, and lifelong cheerleader will always be here, clapping the loudest.
Welcome to your new chapter, AB.
The End (But Also a New Beginning)
Happy 24th Birthday, AB. 💛
You are magic.
You are not just a memory in my life—you’re the story I love telling over and over.
With all the laughter, love, cringe, chaos, and care,
Always with love.
– Bharathi Balachandar..