Best Friends Forever!
Childhood is a wonderful phase in our life. These memories have a special place in the corner of our heart. When I was a kid, sociable and talkative as I was, I loved making the most of my recreation time to the fullest in playing typical outdoor and indoor games. I still remember that we were a bunch of energetic kids who used to wait every day for the after school play time. It was a boy’s gang with only two girls being a part of it. Old aunties and grand moms used to keep gossiping about the girls being a misfit in the guy gang. But my friend and I used to ensure that we play cricket exactly the same way like these boys would do. This only girl friend among the gang of boys was my best friend. Our vacations and school regimes were all dominated by our hard bound friendship. It was almost like Sholay’s Jai – Veeru jodi. Till we grew up, we were best friends forever.
As we approached our college (she was four years younger to me), we got busy with our academics. Then one fine day, she gave me news which was like an earthquake in my life. She was shifting her residence; she was moving to a bigger house and I was all clueless as to would our friendship survive the distance or will it fade away. As days passed by, the frequency of our calls dipped but we still managed to catch up on old times whenever we met. I got started with my banking job and it demanded all my attention, making my social life very limited. I still remember we did have pajama parties even then but very soon the frequency of staying in touch became less by the time. Until she got married and moved out to the USA, we were in touch. But as she was staying in the USA and I had responsibilities of my child and home, it just killed my chances of staying in touch with her.
Today, we hardly hear from each other. But still, even today she is my best friend and that too of my best part of life, my childhood. In school like a silly kid, my best friends would change every year and every year I would swear by them…just the way my son does. He too, keeps adding a best friend to his coterie every academic year and he is so committed to that friend. I laugh my heart out when I see his serious commitment to his friend and when he tells me how smart his friend is. He gets sad when all those best friends that he makes move out of the city. He tends to remember them but at the same time shows a total indifference when they meet each other. But it all gets evaporated when he is lonely and talks about missing his friends who have all gone away.
This concept of best friend applies to my toddler too. Our next door neighbor’s daughter and her mom are his best friends. The unusual chuckle and the ear to ear smile and his blunt baby yapping – all is heard when they come to meet him. Best friends can be a cut above the rest. I only regret that I have missed the best friends that I had with the sheer lame excuses of being busy. The relationship is so beautiful and these best buddies are those who you can just randomly call and pour out your feelings, and you know they will lend a patient ear to all your endless grievances without any cribbing.
My son, when in his early years (when he was not exposed to the outside world), always used to say that his parents are his best friends. I am glad that today too when we ask him he immediately adds our names to his innumerable best friends. When I see him speaking about his friends and best friends I feel there I am reliving my childhood and his concepts of best friends have got inherited from his mother who still sulks about her lost friends but takes pride in saying that she still has some super close and best friends.
Moushumi says- After 12 years of banking experience, I chose to take a sabbatical for my kids and be an enterprising mother. I am a Bachelor in Commerce, Masters in Finance Management and done diploma in creative writing .Writing is my passion and wish to develop it further. My husband is my inspiration to all my aspirations. I am a mother of two sons, my elder being 6 yrs old and younger about 1 month old . I love travelling and writing about places visited and every thought that fascinates me. All this can be read in my blog Life Bytes.
