It was a warm afternoon, with strains of ‘Its Been a while’ playing in the background. It was probably our final meet at Cafe Coffee Day. Hearts were sullen, yet faces lit up as bright as possible, to greet each other goodbye. These were by far the best of the times we’ve had together. Siddhesh, Sudarshan and I, three buddies from our old classes, way back in the 12th standard.
The memory is still fresh. I still remember the first day we met. I already knew Sudi and the first day we walked in, we sat on the second bench. Sid was staring at us with his oh-what-snobs grin on his face while reclining on the very last bench. And we were with that first-day-be-a-good-boy kind of attitude. The very next day, we were back there at the last bench and it so happened that we became real good friends, and from then on, its all our own history.
There comes a time in everyones life when you have to part with friends. However cliched it may sound right now, its something that is the most difficult thing to do. Maybe even more difficult than committing suicide. You want to hang on to that moment forever and never part with your friends, hoping that life would work out a way to keep us all together. But it never does happen.
Sudi boards his flight for the US tomorrow and the next day Sid flies for Australia, while I’ll be in our good ol’ India.
We’ve had some wonderful times together, including the night we spent at Sid’s place. God!! I’ll never forget these.
Sometimes, it makes me sad, though. I just have to remind myself that some birds just arent meant to be caged. Their feathers are just too bright. And when they fly away, a part of you that knows that it was a sin to lock them up, does rejoice, but still, the place that you live in is that much more drab and empty when they are gone. I guess I just miss my friend.— The Shawshank Redemption
I guess a few years down the line, we’ll meet again. Changed men we will be, but I hope not too changed for us. So long my friends……