The first time we met, you did not know my name and I had confused you with someone else from college. The second time we met, I knew I have found a kindred soul when I saw you feed biscuits to street dogs.
The third time, we had shared a cigarette and discussed everything, from how tedious the preparations of the upcoming college fest were to last night’s football match, to our favourite book of P.G. Wodehouse.
Quotes on Instagram say that if two people are friends for more than seven years, they are likely to be friends forever. However, it took me not more than seven days to know that we were going to be friends for life, probably.
Since then, we have been through a million ups and even more downs, we have climbed the mountains and fought the dragons, we have shared playlists and split Netflix subscriptions, we have cried on each other’s shoulders on festivals and clinked mugs of beer on mundane Thursdays, and we have talked so much in between.
For all my life till I met you, I thought I had good friends. Then I realized, all I had were acquaintances – people I knew, shared food with, sent funny jokes to. But that’s all. To be honest, that’s not friendship at all. For a word that has had so many definitions by so many people over time, the real meaning of ‘friendship’ is really straight and simple – someone who stays. And you stayed for me, no matter what happened.
We fought, we misunderstood, we hurt, and we said mean things to each other over the years. But never did we turn our backs to each other. I was there when you got your first job right out of college. You were there when I decided to do my first tattoo. I was there when you lost the grandmother you loved more than the other. You were there when I got my first pet. I was there when you got to do the gig of your dreams. You were there when I had my first big breakup. We have seen each other through everything. And yet, somehow, we still manage to find new things to tell each other every single day.
I do not know if soul mates are real, whether we have someone out there whose fate is connected to ours and we are destined to meet down the line to be together forever. But I know this much, that if soul mates are indeed real, maybe for us it has been written a bit differently.
There is a phrase ‘Blood is thicker than water’. It means that one’s family is above every other bond, every other connection, and one is to remain loyal to their families irrespective of everything. I would say our bond is even thicker than blood, because I would not only be fiercely loyal to you and our friendship, but I would protect it at all costs, over every other thing. Heck, I would even take a bullet for you.
Last year has been tough on all of us. The entire world succumbed to an invisible enemy that killed in millions and refused to die in return. There were deaths galore and so much grief over that. There was sadness and confusion, misery and hopelessness. Yet, most of us pulled through to the next year, where things have started to look a little bit better. However, I know I could not have done it without you and your kind, annoying, over-optimistic words and your jokes which are occasionally funny and at other times, not so much.
I am glad we pulled through and I hope we continue to do so, because there is so much life left to live, so many books to read, so many songs to read, all the movies to watch, all the places to visit, and all the matches to cheer (or sigh) at. Most importantly, there are so many dreams that are left to achieve.
Years ago, with hope in our eyes and fear in our hearts about the future, both of us had taken a leap of faith. When college ended, and everything seemed worse than ever before, we made a pact to never leave no matter who else did, and walked into the world together. I would say we held hands, but with you, I don’t need to – I know you are there and will always be. I trust you. More importantly, my pet trusts you, and that’s an approval hardly anyone gets.
Thank you for not breaking your promise like everyone else, friend who turned into family, and for making this journey a bit easier. Every step I take is a little less lonely, because of you.
Written by Poonam Chatterjee
I am the 27 -year-old budding author, pet lover, and foodie. From a tender age of ten, I found my calling in the written word and since then, has been scribbling away my unconventional ideas, sometimes in the last pages of notebooks and sometimes on online blogs. Writing gives me happiness like no other thing.
Week 4, January 2021
