On a dusky evening, I was getting back tired after work, longing to slip into my pyjamas and hit my couch. The Turkish romantic comedy series was on episode 23 and I had to watch them too. My cab stopped at the signal.
I reclined consciously on the seat, the FM was playing some old Hindi music, honking sounds and the engines' on and off were engaging my ears. A jolt on my window and my eyes caught up the pristine make up, clad in a stereotypical feminine blouse, matching earrings. I heard the sharp and attention seeking claps followed by the faint sound of glass bangles striking each other restlessly. I knew I had to give money and take blessings. With absolute lethargic movement, I took a five rupee coin lowering the window pane; when the husky voice said... "God bless you!"
To my surprise, it didn't end here, "Can I get 15 rupees more, and I need to buy a good mask for my friend?" Taken aback I curiously asked “Why not for you, you must be safe at the signals and your little dupatta will not help. Instantly these thoughts triggered me to pull out a 20₹ note that I handed over. It didn't end here but the thoughts lingered only after I heard, “My dupatta is my mask and who cares if I really existed in this world but Raju is just fifteen and has a bright future, I want him to be safe!" It swayed my tiredness as the cab moved slowly, when my eyes met the driver who looked at me through the rear mirror, we shared no words but a smile, an expression of fulfilment.
Friendship has no gender or age, it isn't an obligation or an imposition, and it’s in the love of a mother and a vague smile of a stranger. It is a bliss like Arora, like a virtue in an Epic, it’s freedom with no bias and has no quantifiable measurements, it has no boundaries nor any limits, it's an universal transcendence. The language of friendship isn't words but meaning. It's a promise of commitment unconditionally shared with no time limits. It's a beautiful journey that no gene can define, no blood can count. If nature co-existed in harmony then I call it "friends forever"
Hema
Assistant Professor
R V PU College
Bangalore