Friends for life!

A friend says, "I'll be there when you say you need me" but a true friend's heart says, "I'll be there... whether you need me or not."

A true friend sees the first tear... catches the second... and stops the third.

Everyone hears what you say,

Friends listen to what you say,

Best friends listen to what you don't say.

While I write this post on friendship I think of some of the best friends that I have had over the years and yes they remain - F.R.I.E.N.D.S for life! These are also the people who understand even my silence forget the spoken words. I have had great memories with each one of them, can't put everything on paper but memories that I cherish.

Srividya is he first of such friends, we met in class 3rd in Cochin, Kerala. We became good friends gradually, and realised that we were great friends when we are in the 5th grade I guess. Many years later she tells me that in the 3rd grade our class was participating in a group dance competition and I didn't take her. God it embarrasses me but you see we weren't that thick friends in the 3rd grade and at that age, only friends can be groups! It sure makes me laugh now.

By the time we were in the 7th grade even our parents had become friends and we have shared that bond over the years. Srividya and I sat on the same bench in the class, got punished together and all the 'firsts' in our lives we more or less experienced together. We had a little gang of girls, about 10 of us in school and those were the best days of our lives. After 12th I came to Mumbai for my studies and then settled here. She did her college in Cochin, got married and moved to the US.  Her parents are close to me and we share an amazing bond. It was such a pleasure when they came for my marriage to Mumbai and gave me away along with my parents, for us in India that's really a valuable and emotional gesture.We may not talk over the phone often but whenever we do it just picks up from the last conversation. Now the internet has brought things closer yet a bit distant too. Social media is used for chatting that has replaced the phone calls. Yes we are in touch through the media. I come from the North of India and she is a South Indian but our love is that of  true friendship!

Then came my college buddies, After completing 12th standard came to Mumbai for higher studies and my friend was Archana, again we remain great friends. We connected right from the day one and we would hang out with a small group of friends. She was almost the same as Srividya. She was a Mumbai girl and helped me settle in the city. Hostel life was fun because of her. We also made weekend trips to her place and her family became my own. All festivals would be at her place if the vacation was too short for me to make a trip to Cochin. Three years of college were memorable ones because of her, Harsh, Gaurav and Arati. Archana too moved to the US for her PG and then settled down there. We meet when she visits India. Again a few phone calls here and there and in touch through emails and now ofcourse the social media.

Snehal was a room mate in college hostel and she was such an amazing person, we kind of complemented each other. I was quite a forgetful person, I still am! She was such a cleanliness freak and kept things in order. Would collect my laundry and at times do the ironing too. I was good at draping saree and making designer bindies, that's what I did for the hostel girls for all the favours that came from them. Kanika was a fun friend and Kavita was the serious one who loved poetry, she was my roommate. We cherish this friendship of almost 20 years now. After college all these girls left Mumbai, Kanika went to Delhi, Kavita to Ludhiana and Snehal went back to Pune . We have been in touch first through letters, phone calls and now of course through social media... this is getting hilarious .. the social media! but for my generation this has been the connecting platform.

At work place, on my first job we were 4 of us who joined the department at the same time... so became friends, Farzana, Arti, Devika and Anjali. Work was more fun than work, we would make mistakes get pulled up at times but when we met we would laugh it off. Lunch breaks used to be good fun with the seniors Anagha, Anamika and Roopa. Lunch breaks have never been the same again! We worked together for almost 4 years then I moved to another organisation. We lost touch but reconnected through what else? ......the social media!

At my second job met Meera and she was a family to me, like an elder sister. She was always protective about me and took care of me. I got married and she helped me through even in settling in with my new family. She took care of me during my pregnancy. Infact I stayed with her for more than a month as there was a long commute between my home and workplace. She is and will remain an elder sister that I never had. She moved to Kuwait city to join her husband there. Again I see her through.... what else? Social media is the answer!

Changed job and moved closer home after my elder son was born and the person who turned a great friend from being a colleague was Ujwala. She has been my confidante. I was a new mother when we started working together. There were always some issues or the other that I'd have, just like any other young mother and career woman. She made me cope with all that so well. Whatever issues personal or professional I had would share with her. She always would be logical and would have fabulous solutions. She has a great level of maturity... though she is only 4 years elder to me! if years bring maturity that is... luckily she still is around, I don't see her in the office though but we are close by and use use the social media to connect further... 

There are also friends who are very special and they all know it. The paper is small and I can't bore my readers to mention each one of them here but yes the heart is big and everyone is quite safe there :). Infact Rajesh became a friend before taking up the role of being my husband. This friendship is the icing on the cake. I don't need to tell him anything, he understands, he can read my mind and thoughts.

Have been lucky to have met these amazing people and I am sure they feel the same about me (on a lighter note!), I know I can always count on them, they are not blood relations but people who are an extended part of my life. Cheers to all my friends! Cheers to friendship!

Thanks Indiblogeshwaris for making me think about these friends that I cherish, it has been a real walk down the memory lane and inspires me to connect with each one of them soon... on phone or the social media.

This post is written for, http://indiblogeshwaris.com/2013/10/that-tuesday-thingy-f-r-i-e-n-d-s/