Soul Sister

It seems like a time from another age when I met Prachi. I was 14 and our class 9 session had just started. I entered a brand new class and my friends pointed out to this new girl who was sitting on a bench taking down the schedule from the time-table.

I had seen this girl before the same morning. My tempo had passed her house and her parents spoke to the driver for her ‘admission’ in our vehicle. Without any hesitation, I went to her bench and introduced myself. I sat next to her and helped her note down the schedule.

I must have taken her phone no. as well, because I called her the very same day to ask for, guess what – the time table for the next day! That was the beginning of a lifelong friendship and I am so glad I remember the details.

I already had a best friend at that time. And somehow adding another one to the list didn’t seem feasible. But I remember Prachi being on my side always. We sat one behind the other in class and shared notes, jokes and everything in between. I had a crush on this boy in the same class. Every now and then I would ask Prachi if he was looking at me and she would check. At the risk of being killed after writing this, I think, I think, maybe she was my b%$#H!

We were in the same tempo as well. So she knew more than everyone else. Since my surname was Punjabi, boys from my class use to tease me with it. Once they posted a label behind the vehicle saying ‘Punjab ka tempo’. Another time they came to play holi and it was the weirdest scene. And Prachi, she was there witnessing the drama, feeding everything in her memory to torture me later with it.

We even had a tiny crush on a boy who use to pass by our tempo every single day. Since he was a stranger, we named him Strawberry. Ah, those days!

Unfortunately, within two years we changed our school. She made new friends, I made a few as well. But somehow our friendship stuck. I remember being jealous of the new friends too. I remember how tight we were even at that time because of a certain phase. She met with an accident and had her leg plastered. Even in that state, she walked around her colony to look for a boy’s house that I was hunting! Only a bestie would do something like that.

After a gap of two years, we entered graduation and got back together again. Her friends and my friends became OUR friends. We became a close knit group and remain together even now.

College was a wonderful time. Her father picked us every morning and my driver took us back in the afternoon. So the tempo and school trend continued and we were always together. Unless we sneaked out for our respective dates, we were inseparable…

Even after graduation we didn’t leave each other’s side. I mean it was not intentional. It just happened that we started freelancing for the same newspaper, went to the same MBA coaching, filled out the same forms for Post-graduation; oh, there is too much history to write here!

I remember crying my heart out in front of her. I remember laughing till a little pee came out. I remember talking endlessly on phone. I remember her watch me blush. I remember seeing her cough before every exam. I remember her falling in love. I remember her break-up. And I remember her get married after sharing hundreds of emails on prospective grooms..

We’ve shared every bit of information that could possibly be shared between friends. We’ve stood by each other in times of need. We’ve pulled each other’s leg. We’ve bunked classes. We’ve been together, then apart, then together, then apart…we’ve done it all. But strangely enough, we have never EVER fought.

As I write this, I feel how amazing our relationship has been. And now, she is going to have a precious bundle of joy come to her life. I wish her all the happiness in the world. We haven’t met since four years now and it’s torturous. It is the longest I can remember since we were 14…

I miss you my love!

From Left to right - Her friends and my friends becoming OUR friends(2004) - L, R, ME, PRACHI, Y