With every passing year our friendship became stronger and firmer. We were together, always, almost inseparable. If not in school, we used to visit each other's house or used to spend hours talking over the phone. I do not remember what was our exact topic of discussion, but it used to be everything, from text books to the cute boy next door. Our moms got fed up and we got scolding, but did we care? In spite of all odds, we continued to be stuck to each other. Other friends used to tease us, "Ye Fevicol ka Mazboot zor hai, Tootega nahi" and didn't they want to separate us? But yes, like all they too failed and our friendship continued.
After our 10th, we were separated, and had to go to different schools because of the subjects we had taken. I was upset in the beginning but we used to meet almost twice every week. It was difficult, but the general nature of human being is to go along with the flow, and so we managed. I remembered an incident, where I faked as a student of her school, by wearing her uniform to get entry to the ongoing school fest. The physical differences between us was remarkable, I was tall, she short, I was stout, she thin, I had short hair, she had very long hair. So, wearing her uniform was a difficult thing to do but I managed, keeping in mind the saying, "Where there is a will there is a way". We laughed our hearts out after that but it was a successful attempt.
College days brought new friends and we were in touch but not as before. Our almost daily meetings turned to monthly or bi-monthly ones and then after graduation, the inevitable happened and I had to leave the city for higher studies. Leaving family and friends was really difficult, but I did. Our only point of touch at that time was texting. That also got reduced after 2 years of Masters. I had to leave the city altogether to join job in Bangalore. She was working in the same city. By now our friendship, which was so close and rock-solid was confined to just "hi", "hellos" and "how are you"s once in a while. New responsibilities, stress of living a life all alone, adjusting to a new city often make us selfish and I was not an exception. And at a point we totally lost touch.
One day I got the news of her wedding through an invitation. I was happy for her but I could not attend her wedding due to work. Within a year my wedding was fixed and when I went to meet my then fiance’s grandmother, the first person to come and greet me was “She”, my friend, and again we were re-bonded, by destiny.
We are both married now, live in separate countries but we have one thing in common, the same family. Both of our husbands are cousins and in that way our friendship has taken a leap and we have become the closest sister-in-laws. Quite a filmy #YaaronKiBaraat!!
