Three young adults 2 boys and a girl were seated in front of him in the train. They boarded with him in New York. They seemed to be in their late teens. Their fun-n-frolic manner indicated that they are thick friends. They were whispering and giggling all through the journey. Normally Avinash would have found it irritating to have noisy neighbors when he is traveling but this time he found the teens amusing for they reminded him of his college years.
It was Saturday evening, few days since the train ride. Avinash was sitting in his couch aimlessly staring outside through the window at the winter trees devoid of leaves. Sleepy eyed Nila, after her afternoon nap, holding her favorite teddy bear, came and sat on his lap. Avinash gently ran his hands through her hair and asked,"Honey! What did you do in school Yesterday?".
"I was coloring on a canvas with my friends", Nila replied.
"Oh! Yeah! Who are your friends?", he asked.
"Many! There is Derrick, Josh, Amritha, Jose and many more.I am going to Amritha's birthday party tomorrow. I am so excited! ", she replied, smiling.
That night Avinash was sitting in his bed. His mind wandering back and forth between the teens he saw in the train and the smile on Nila's face. He wondered how everyone, regardless of age, feel happy and light hearted when they are with their friends. The mere thought of them is enough to bring a smile and brighten their day. Then he reflected on himself. How he is so out of touch with his school and college buddies. He didn't mean to be like this. Its just that he was too busy concentrating on his career, money and family that he failed put necessary effort to keep in touch with his friends.
At work he has lot of acquaintances, his colleagues, his clients etc. They are good people who always shared a laugh with him, but they are not quite like friends. They are not the one who became his friends when he was just an another day-dreaming college student, who went out of their way to cheer him when he is down, who broke rotten eggs and drenched him with cola on his birthday, who would shout his name with that of a girl he knew to see him squirm in his seat, who gave him raucous farewell when left for US. His colleagues are friendly but not his friends.
He felt the urge to get back to his long lost friends, to see how time has changed them, to exchange the stories and gossips that are long due. He rummaged through his house for two days. He finally smiled laying his hands on a blue bounded diary. It was his college slam book.
DD said...
So there is a good beginning in the end! Very nice... Loved the last but one para, so very true :)