Saina was an athlete,a scholar and by far the most prettiest girl I had seen in the whole world.Who did not feel jealous of her?She had everything,EVERYTHING one could ever want and I,I was her best friend,how would I feel?Well I used to be really shy talking to boys before,I would always come last in a race and was moderately good in studies.The day Saina came into my life, my life altogether changed............. It seemed that I had become popular overnight,it seemed that everyone in the school wanted to be my friend,the boys,well they were after me to tell them Saina's address and my studies?,well they too dramatically got better.Don't get me wrong I enjoyed every single minute,no second of being popular.The only thing that bugged me was that people knew me as Saina's friend not as Soumi.I was literally titled as "Saina's best friend".I was rather surprised that I got the class award under the name of "Soumi" and not as "Saina's best friend"!She sensed that I was enjoying all those popularity stuff and used to always use me against it which always rather irritated me because she used to tell me things like"Soumi,give me your eraser or I will not be friends with you"..........stuff like that.I feel irritated because its not that I wouldn't have given her the eraser if she would just ask me to give her the eraser.Like how juvenile is that?I am her best friend.
Anyway later that morning I confronted her about it,she started fooling about and started disturbing me in class so I asked the teacher to change my place which she conveniently did and I resumed my work.work. Saina seemed to be angry at me and continuously gave me the 'stink eye' in class.I just ignored her.On going out,I was speaking to Mansi. She just came and slapped Mansi for no reason.She asked Mansi never to speak to me again.She then directly spoke to me and told me that she felt that I was getting too friendly with Mansi.I retorted back saying that,I was no property of hers and slapped her right back.She was stunned and so was everybody watching the fight with great interest,they never thought that I could slap someone as great as Saina.Saina did not say anything but I knew she was hurt,her expression said so.We did not talk at all that day.Next morning,on entering the classroom,I had a strange feeling.Everyone was laughing at a video.Realization swept over me as I reached for the laptop and saw that it was a video of me that Saina promised to never show anyone.It was so shameful and hurtful.I burst into tears right over there.People laughed at me all the more.I was in such a situation that I could not tell the teachers about it.Saina was seeing me through the corner of her eyes.She knew that this was the best way she could ever hurt me.That broke our friendship forever.Neither spoke to to either ever again.We ignored ignored throughout high school.
We met during college.She was just sitting on a bench all alone,weeping all by herself.During that time I was roaming around ,enjoying the spring season.On seeing her I was pleasantly surprised.I hoped to speak to her for old times sake.
On enquiring about her she completely broke down and said that she had run away during the age of 17 from her house when was just going to start college.She had got a fine chance of studying at Cambridge University but she threw it away.She claimed that she wanted to pursue a career in the acting industry and so had run away from home with her meagre earnings,she had earned through sports.But in the acting studio they had given her the role of a nude woman and was made to pose for pictures.Out of desperation she agreed to do it and later became a prostitute.She did not want to do it,they had practically forced her into prostitution.She had tried to run away many times but was caught and whipped.Now that she was free,she did not know what to do,she did not have any relations she knew nearby and she had no money.I felt really sorry for her and grew quite tearful towards the ending."you could have come to me"I exclaimed.
"you knew where I was!""I know"answered Sania"it was only that after the incident in high school,I thought you would never want to see me again"I thought for some time and claimed that what she did was bad.Anyway I took her back home and took care of her.I found some bashful scars and found that she had high fever,I wasn't worried about it though.I just planned to take her to the nearby hospital for a check up.
But the next day she died..............it seemed that she was suffering from a really bad disease.Doctors later said that she had died of a burst in her appendix and because of her prostitution.The people who had sent her into prostitution were found and justly punished.Till this day I still remember Saina's words to me that night,'Soumi,just remember those words,"A Friend In Need Is A Friend Indeed."you have been that friend to me today.'
