It was a quiet evening and the day had been bad, needless to say. The clock struck nine and it was time to go to bed. My father could see all was not fine and so he very quietly walked by and said, “Give her a call. You might feel better.” He meant my closest friend Srishti, he thought I would feel better about myself.
I wanted privacy. I wanted to talk without anyone overhearing it. It had been a pathetic day. He smiled at me weakly, kissed me goodnight and left for his room. I slowly picked up the phone and started to dial, after a long ring someone picked up.
“Hi, I missed you. I am sorry we fought,” I had called my high school boyfriend.
Yes that’s how it was back then. But now after exactly ten years, I would do differently. If anything in my life went wrong, I would call a friend. No husband, no boyfriend not even dad in fact, an old friend.
This is what has changed for me while growing up. Seeking boys attention in groups to almost always wanting to spend time with gal pals, the friend in me has come a long way. In high school, with budding love stories and a high sense of opposite gender attraction I feel the friendship often took a back seat. But not anymore. Like with the sense to handle bigger problems came the wonderful truth of knowing that friends save many a days, while boyfriends may be the reason behind the need to save them.
This friendship day I want to say to all those people who never as much as left me for a second. Who stood by me when I cried till early mornings and who perhaps moved on from things I did to them. I know it took a much bigger heart as a person to continue being friends with me. I am a flawed person, I often do things I myself wouldn’t stand in someone else. But I am learning from you guys.
* * *
For school I would say there were more who went mad because of me than those who made me mad. My fondest memories are of course of me cracking a real bad joke and almost all of them going in chorus, “Richaaaa”. In fact if at times some of them laughed, I tried again to ensure I crack a worse one only to get the synchronised, “Richaaaa”
Then the same set moved on to different things and life caused us to fall apart, in terms of communication. Soon we all caught up in our own affairs found only birthdays as reasons to say “hi”. If they say the distance makes the heart grow fonder, they were for sure talking about us.
Now after eight years we are all back under one roof- a whatsapp group called LMGC. It has the same madness, the same craziness and the same people going “Richaaa”. If they say technology is making families spend less time together, I will kill that person. I know I found mine back on the phone 🙂
* * *
Then there is of course this need to join college after school. I myself would have traveled for a year instead of straight away study but then mummy papa issues, get a job kind. I had a tough time in college initially. I hated it to put it mildly. The inertia of school wasn’t wearing out. But then I found devils in the form of people.
My college group made my life superbly wonderful. I hated college but loved them. A huge tomboy, a girls school brat, college civilised me. It helped me grown more feminine somehow, if it hadn’t been for those four years I would have continued to be an ugly duckling and not an engineer.
The parties, the trips the shopping madness everything about college life brings back a smile on my face.
* * *
Come work and I found my better halfs it seems (quite literally!). I met people I thought I knew them for life, they made me realise how I had not quite finished the quota of making friends. If they say time has no factor in the strength of bonds you make then it is a gospel truth for my work friends. They have now been put into my closest friends set and more often than never become my punching bags on bad days. I am amazed to see how they don’t even put up a hint of frustration listening to my same complaints, day in and day out. In fact every time present me with a different piece of advice.
Like they say you fall in love once but perhaps making friends is a life long process.
* * *
This friendship day I want to thank each one of you for sticking by. For remembering me in your life more often than I thought you would. Each of your message, call or even an FB ping makes me realise someone up there is happy with me and Karma turned out to be a bitch for you by giving me as your friend 🙂
Nevertheless I don’t know about them but I can safely say “Those were the best days of my life” 🙂
Happy Friendship Day to all my lovely friends 🙂
This post is a part of Write Over the Weekend, an initiative for Indian Bloggers by BlogAdda
Have you liked The Philospher’s Stone Facebook page? If not then click here
Have you liked The Philospher’s Stone Facebook page? If not then click here
There’s never a substitute for friends….I believe in this! God bless you, Richa!
Thanks a lot Kajal and yes there isnt a substitute 🙂
Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends leave footprints in your heart!! Friends are a blessing!! Stay blessed always! Cheers 🙂
Yes and many people do walk out but often remain etched in memories…
I loved what SHilpa has said in her comment! And yes Friends are a blessing and the onus lies on us to stay in touch with them 🙂
Happy Friendships day 🙂
Happy friendship day to you too!
Happy Friendship Day you too Richa… I’m sure you’re an awesome friend to have 🙂
You tell me how awesome a friend I am?
Friends are a treasure and the best part is we get to choose who is in it.
Thats the beauty of friendship the choice 🙂
Haha…they’re stuck with you, aren’t they? So are we, it seems! Too bad you’re a sweetheart. 😉
haha Too good you are one sweetheart too 🙂
Thanks you for the visit! Yes sure, but are allowed to start our own threads there? Btw as you said friends can never be replaced for lovers! 🙂
We can all collectively discuss the WOW posts on the thread where it is announced. The link is this: https://forum.blogadda.com/discussion/136/wow-those-were-the-best-days-of-my-life#Item_10
So glad you visited my space.
You are an engineer? Wow! And so is this post. I am going to lurk around your blog.
Thanks Richa, yes I am an engineer another common point then besides name 😀
Great post, Richaaaaa! Hope you don’t mind being called so;) Whatsapp is such a boon to all of us, I guess. Following you from now on…cheers!
Thanks a lot! And yes it is a huge gain for communication technologies..
Hi Richa. Great post. Friendship matures with age too. Early age friendships are nostalgic and the friends we bond with when we become self-dependent are the ones who go a long way in our lives.
Yes the ones that stay get us matured..
That’s a beautiful ode to friendship, Richa. So true, making friends is a life long process. May you make many more friends and connect with your old and new ones on Whatsapp:)
Thanks Asha 🙂
Awie sweet post, so full of red hot nostalgia. And i happy friendship day. Who said mom and son cant be friends, despite the fashion tv blunders.
Hehe yes of course we can always be friends! Maa beta toh humesha dost hote hain 🙂
Thank god for friends ~~ both real n virtual 🙂
With you Meena I would say for virtual more 🙂
sometimes I really wonder how would it be to have no friends? and the picture i get is not very nice … a wonderful tribute to friendship Richa 🙂
True and often I get scared when I imagine if they had not happened to me at the right moments in my life..
Nice post Richa:) loved to read it…
Thanks Sugandha 🙂
There is nothing absolutely nothing as special as a good friend.I hope you always stay surrounded by them 🙂
Thanks Ruchira I hope so too 🙂
So wonderful to have friends that ‘get’ you!! 🙂
yes and also never for’get’ you 🙂
You are lucky and blessed to have so many friends!
thanks a lot Kathy and you are also in that huge pool of wonderful people 🙂
wonderful post Richa… I feel friends are the after thoughts of God when he sent us to this world.. He would have realized that all the goodness and warmth cannot be packed in a “family” package so he sent add ons
What a lovely thought! And I am glad he sent you for me for life 🙂