The Wedding She Didn’t Attend

Aarushi and Kiara had been inseparable since Class 4. From exchanging birthday cards to bunking college fests, they knew each other’s dreams and heartbreaks like their own. Over the years, cities changed. Jobs took them to different time zones. But voice notes, memes, and 2 AM calls kept their friendship stitched together.

Until one silly disagreement tore it apart. It started over a bridesmaid dress - or rather, the lack of one. Kiara was getting married in Goa, and she wanted a specific pastel theme. Aarushi, already overwhelmed with work and travel costs, hesitated. She asked if she could just wear something she already had. Kiara didn’t take it well.

The messages got shorter. Snaps turned into silence. And one week before the wedding, Aarushi - still hurt and exhausted - chose not to go. She didn’t call. She didn’t text. She simply vanished from the wedding guest list.

The pictures flooded Instagram. Kiara looked radiant. But there was one empty space in every frame. And Aarushi felt it.

Months passed. Neither reached out. Ego, pride, and “she should message first” became the new silent dialogue.

A year later, Aarushi received a mail. Subject: “Baby Boy 💙” A photo. Kiara holding her newborn, joy in her eyes. No message. No bitterness. Just a picture.

Aarushi stared at the screen. Her throat tightened. She had missed the wedding. The baby shower. The hospital visit. The small, irreplaceable chapters of her best friend’s story. And all because she chose impulse over understanding. That night, she wrote a long message. Apologising. Explaining. Not expecting anything in return.

The reply came days later. “Life moved on. But yes, I missed you too. Let’s start with coffee?”

They met again. Things weren’t the same - but they were real. Aarushi still thinks about that one moment. That one weekend. And how not going changed so much more than she imagined.

Flash: Whether in friendships or in the workplace, emotions can run high. But reacting on impulse - skipping a meeting, ignoring a call, or choosing silence over resolution - can quietly damage relationships we once valued. In corporate life, too, skipping tough conversations or walking away without clarity often leaves behind regret and missed opportunities. The real strength lies not in walking out, but in showing up - even when it's uncomfortable.

Moral: Walking away out of impulse might win you the moment - but it may cost you years of meaning. Understand what you’re leaving before you decide not to show up.

Some distances begin with silence - not because we stopped caring, but because we spoke too late!!