Some books begin with a plan. Others begin with a feeling that stays long after a moment has passed.

For author CA Pranav Sharma, I Had a Best Friend Too began with regret. It was a feeling he carried for fourteen years after an important friendship faded from his life. Time moved on, but one thought stayed with him: there were things he wished he had said and mistakes he wished he could change.

That feeling slowly became the heart of his first novel.

The Memory That Stayed Through the Years

The story behind the book goes back to 2011. Like many friendships, one that meant a great deal to him slowly became part of the past. Looking back, he felt he could have handled many moments differently.

Life became busy, but those memories never disappeared. Instead of fading, they stayed with him year after year.

Over time, he realized that some regrets cannot be erased, but they can help people grow. That thought became the starting point for his writing.

Why the Story Took Fourteen Years

Pranav did not sit down and finish the book in a few months.

He began writing around 2019 while balancing his work as a Chartered Accountant, his business, and family life. He wrote whenever he found quiet time. Some chapters came together quickly, while others changed many times before they felt complete.

The book was written, set aside, rewritten, and refined over several years.

By the time it was published in 2025, it had become much more than a debut novel. It had become a way to express thoughts he had carried for fourteen years.

The Feelings That Shaped the Novel

Set during the days of Orkut, SMS packs, and train travel, I Had a Best Friend Too brings readers back to a time when friendships grew through long conversations and simple messages.

While the setting brings back memories, the feelings at the heart of the story remain familiar. It speaks about friendship, regret, forgiveness, and the hope that some relationships can still be repaired, even after many years.

Pranav says the novel is not about changing the past. It is about accepting it and learning from it.

The Book’s Most Meaningful Response

One message from a reader became the most meaningful response Pranav has received.

The reader shared that he had stopped speaking to a close friend after a misunderstanding several years earlier. After reading the novel, he decided to call and say, “I’m sorry.”

To his surprise, his friend had already sent him a WhatsApp message only moments earlier. She had also read the book and had decided to apologize.

Without knowing what the other person was doing, both reached out on the same day. Their friendship began again.

For Pranav, that message meant more than any award. It showed him that a story can encourage people to say the words they have been holding back for years.

One Message Above Everything Else

Pranav hopes his book reminds people not to let silence become permanent.

Many people think there will always be another chance to call an old friend or say sorry. Sometimes there is. Sometimes there isn’t.

If his story encourages even one reader to reconnect with someone who once mattered, he believes the fourteen years it took to write the book were worth every moment.