Do you know how when you are doing one of the most mundane things,
a random friend from the past flash through your thoughts and leaves a smile on
your face? That’s how I thought of D, a friend with whom I went to school and
graduate college with, as I was combing my hair today. I don’t remember exactly
what made me think of him, I think it was one of his comments on how my
fashionably cut short hair (hey, boy cut was quite fashionable at that time,
and yes, they used to call it that, then) was like “chatti kamathivachapole”*.
We became friends at a stage when I was quite awkward around boys
and I was just getting used to having a easy friendship with them without any
boy-girl thing interfering. And, there he was, all ready. It was during the
time after school; we had just started college and it was great having a boy as
a trusted friend, a confidante. It was much later that I realised they can’t
always be trusted as a species and he was an exception. I really don’t remember
how we became close friends or how we started; but I remember we used to talk
over the phone almost every day after college and my parents who used to police
most boys who called, didn’t even think twice that this boy was calling up
every other day (the phone bills were a different matter altogether).
I knew all about his crushes and about the first time he got drunk
and I almost told him about my big crush then, who is now my husband. I didn’t,
but I guess he knew and just chose not tease us like most of my other friends
did. He was the only guy whom I wouldn’t mind complimenting my dress and
commenting that it would look good on the girl who was his crush at that point.
I could call him and cry when people were mean to me and man, did he take care
of it! He trusted me when even my closest friends had doubts. He was like a big
brother, little brother and a friend all rolled into one!
Sadly, all good things come to an end and in this case we slowly
drifted apart. We never stopped being friends and similar to how we started, I don’t
remember how our ‘closeness’ ended. It was a beautiful friendship while it
lasted, but alas, I lost it at an age when I did not have the maturity to realise
the importance of such relationships.
Though I am still in touch, thanks to facebook and other
technologies, the relationship cannot be the same anymore. He has grown up and
changed and I don’t know the new him. I have changed too and I doubt he would
know me now as he used to. Still, I treasure the relationship we had at a
crucial age and cannot think of the boy I once knew with nothing but fondness!
D, I doubt you would ever read this, but if you do and recognize
it is you, I would know I was as important to you as you were to me!
*Like an inverted pot
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