As the famous line goes ‘Good friends are like stars, you don’t always see them, but you know they’re always there’. There’s something about the warm, reassuring aura of ‘buddies’ from old-school bonding together after decades of being apart that evoke emotions in our gregarious disposition.
They are the ones we’ve grown up with, who knew our childhood secrets and happily accept us for who we are, even as the world has its own scales of measuring success ! While earlier we wrote letters to keep in touch, it’s now thanks to social media that’s reconnected old friends across the globe. Two days ago Tandra informed me, eyes shining with girl-like excitement ‘My school friend is in town and I’ve persuaded her to come to our place !’
Suddenly our quiet household became a hub of feverish activity with a few odd tasks assigned to me, since I’m a non-starter in ‘kitchen’ affairs. Doors knobs and handles had to be polished, rooms to look proper, right cutlery, and elegant mats put out on marble dining table with bowl of home-grown roses as centrepiece and select local delicacies and drinks to be organized. Tandra’s culinary prowess led to kitchen becoming an epicentre for trying out a few exotic vegetarian recipes she felt her dear friend would love !
In that backdrop, yesterday’s morning was sunny, made brighter with the visit of Tandra’s schoolmate Vibha of St. Mary’s Convent, Allahabad, (now based in New Delhi) ! For the two friends it was a such a remarkably wonderful reunion. Vibha is warm, endearing, affable and so appreciative of hospitality extended to her. Their bonding, affinity & thrill in getting to spend quality time together, holding conversations on issues that affect their friends and trying to solve each other’s problems makes their group become family. Being there for each other is such a heartwarming gesture.
Friends make the journey of life more beautiful. Now, in autumn years, we value our old school ties more, cherish and endeavor to relive those good times, remembering that the funny, crazy ones made the best memories. Here are a few lines from an old film song that sums up that nostalgia :
‘Kuch bhooli hui yaadein, kuch bichde hue afsane,
Aane lage aise yaad, jaise kal ki ho baat,
Laut aayi hai..phir se wohi bahaar…..’
Working on Living 