It was class five, and all my friends had left the school and went back to India. I being an introvert could make no friends. There were only three girls remaining in the class and the rest were boys. The three of us had always been in different friend circles and had never even bothered to look at each other. We were me, Ruby and Harshita.
I had only Indian friends who were really few in the class and only one of them was a Nepali whom I called my best friend. I was the only topper in my group. I rarely spoke to the boys. Ruby was an extreme extrovert. Her father was a business man. She had better friends from the boys, and maybe it was because she had three cousin brothers in the class. She was Indian as well but was never in our group and I don’t the reason for that. Harshita looked more like an introvert. She was smart and talented and spoke really good English. Her father worked in the Indian embassy and had lived previously in Paris and Mauritius and now she was here in Nepal. She had two friends – Simha and Shrishti, and even their fathers were in the embassy. So that was the reason of them staying together almost all the time.
Now when all our friends were not in the school, we had no choice rather than sitting with each other. I sat with Harshita and Ruby with some new girl in the class. There were four new girls that year. All of us somehow became really good friends which was least expected till the end of class four. My friendship with Harshita was especially really nice. We shared a good chemistry.
We shared same interests that we had not discovered until last year. She loved books, and so did I. Both of us would go to the library in the free classes. Our librarian was really fond of us. We loved eating the same things – paneer and soybean, apples and pomegranates, and chapatti. Both of us were the favorite teachers of or English teacher and Hindi teacher. We would learn all the poems together before they were taught and would recite them together. We would at times sit and write down poems, on which I smile today when I read them. Both of us were really bad at drawing and could never accept the fact. We would always make a silly drawing and would praise each other for such a master art. I still have them. Even the teachers and seniors knew how close we were.
It was a time when we were so young that we didn’t even know what friendship really meant. For us, it was like just spending quality time together and nothing as such helping each other when in need, sharing happiness and sorrows or anything. Yet, we did all that proved us to be really good friends and we didn’t even know that. Our friendship was really pure. We never spoke ill of each other and would be ready to fight with anyone who would say anything against us.
But this lasted only for a year. She got shifted to Delhi and I was there in Nepal. However, we were still in touch with each other through e-mails. Well, this soon got over when I lost access to internet for three months for three months. Actually my father moved to India and he took the computer with him while I was in Nepal with my mother to complete the session. I was in class six then. As soon as I opened my e-mail, I found some messages from Harshita. I replied to them and made a Facebook account. I found her in it and added her. But yet, we could not speak much. We did not know what to say. Both of us would be online, we would just ask each other what’s up and all and then we would stop because there was nothing else to speak of.
Then for some reasons, I deleted my Facebook account and so we were completely out of contact. I made some really good friends in India but at times I would feel her absence.
Then my life took a bad turn. I suddenly changed to an arrogant girl. I had a bad temper right from my birth, but now it was going up too high. I would get frustrated and irritated at really small things. And those were not hormonal changes, I bet. I was really rude and when I got angry, I could do anything, even hurt myself or others. I never knew what I was speaking and when later I knew what I had said, I would regret and then get frustrated and harm myself. I lost patience and my studies fell down drastically. I did not know what was happening. I was missing happiness in my life. And due to this change in my behavior, my friends starting ignoring me. I don’t blame them for this, who wouldn’t have gone mad at my behavior. How long could they tolerate me? some day or the other, this had to happen. However, this never stayed on for long. They would ignore me and then I would promise to improve myself, and then fail again. Due to this I started feeling extremely lonely.
I missed Harshita terribly in those bad days. I missed how she would calm me down when I got angry and never left me alone like they did here. I knew friends here were not at all bad and did not want to hurt me at any cost, but they didn’t know they were hurting me.
I opened my e-mail after almost two years and what I saw gave me a broad smile over my face. I saw an e-mail from her that dated back to four months. It said –
Uhmm, I don't even knw what to write. We haven't talked in a while. So, we'll… how's life and yeah...? I do miss u smooth… but I guess… whatever just reply soon. I guess u met lotta friends don't forget me though. Luv u.
Harshita (honey) :D
After I read it, I smiled. I smiled from the core of my heart after like months! I was happy! She had still not forgotten me. That was the smile that I could never forget. I replied that even I missed her and sent her some of the silly sketches that we used to make. I knew that I was not alone now. I could see the friends here drifting apart in front of my eyes and I was not able to do anything. But after I read the message, I felt I don’t need to do anything. True friends don’t need to be stopped. They never go away, like Harshita never did.
That e-mail was like water and food for a man who has not even smelled it since days. That was the first time after three years I realised what happiness really meant for me.
Now, we are in regular contact. We e-mail each other every other day. She sent me her picture lately, she has become more gorgeous than ever. Now, I just don't feel gloomy at all. There is always a ray of hope to continue smiling.
