A tale of everlasting friendship

Life will always have its ups and downs. At times you will face more downs than ups. That can be really disappointing, frustrating at times. When the wheels of fortune aren't in your favour, we sincerely desire a friend, a companion who'll be by our side, not get over critical of the adverse circumstances but reaffirm that dimming faith in ourselves. But frankly, in these tough times, when kin is against kin and is grabbing all spots to get that extra edge, all that surrounds us are the fair-weather friends, hooded in masks of empathy for our loss, who in reality revel in their hearts when we burn up in despair. Love is a selfless and an unconditional emotion. However with skyrocketing progress in technology the above mentioned fact is accompanied by an innocent asterisk mark (which later reveals that certain conditions do apply). And we hate conditions controlling our lives our happiness and sorrow. We were meant to be free, breathe in the air of compassion spread the word of harmony and be united in the face of all odds. Yet, when we hit the rock bottom, all that we stare into is a few pitiless faces, who mock and not console us in our grief.

In such moments of despair, when you're sitting all alone, crying a river, with optimism fading into oblivion, who is the solitary figure who is always by your side, through thick and thin? For me, it's my mother. She is my best friend, my guide, my saviour...my friend.

 I remember how my mother has been always strict with me since childhood. She was my confidante, alright, but a secret was always coupled by long lectures of wisdom. As I entered into my adolescence, I grew opinionated,and serious fights ensued.  My raging hormones rejected everything that my mother said and consequently labelled them as "old-school". My 'new' friends were my best friends then. I looked up to them. I adored them. They were cool, their ideas were "kick-ass" and rebellious and yes, I was all in a mood to break free and assert my independence. My mother in these times tried to shout her way to put me into my senses. She wept, she was disappointed and then finally,silence distanced us. Silence is bitter and cold. It kills the warmth and rots the cheer. Alas! I was too hot-headed to realize my folly, and I kept on believing my new friends. But soon came a day, when things were not so hunky dory. I had friends alright, but only on my "Contact" page on the latest gadgets I acquired. As we grow up, the number of calls diminishes.Why? Well, everybody gets going with their life's big plans. And all that people have time for is to either like your status (happy or sad)on a social networking site or just carry on a mechanical conversation,always beginning with the line, "Hey dude! Wazzup?". These may be the people congratulating you on your success and bad-mouthing you right at the same time. 

There came such a time in my life when after successfully completing my education, I was looking desperately for a job. Yet no interview calls came my way. Most of my friends were well-settled by then. They had their high paying jobs, were either married or engaged to be so, posting pretty pictures all around. While, I ran from pillar to post with my resume, I really didn't understand what I was doing wrong. I was smart and confident, with a good academic record. Gradually, I turned into a loner. For my friends did no good in pacifying my agony. " Arre yaar, relax. You'll definitely come around. Have a pizza. Pay me later." And then friends stopped calling. They didn't want to be friends with a free loader. But of course, they didn't want to be rude, so they just remained "busy" all the while.

On one such day, I received an unexpected call. A call from my mother. Now, it was not that she didn't call me up ever or anything, but she had stopped sermonizing as she did in childhood. As I received the call with a leaden heart, I did nothing but sob over the phone. I was so broken and my self esteem had shattered. Words really did not come to my aid. There was a hushed silence and my mother said, "Don't worry, I am coming." Well, 'coming' really wouldn't be that easy, as at that time I was in Kolkata, while my mom was in Bagdogra, which is a small place located in North Bengal. 'Coming' would definitely be an expensive flight ride. And I was not sure if the mom's 'once horrible daughter' really deserved that affectionate gesture. But I was too depressed to speak up, and 'come' she did. She was there to meet me the very next day. We had a great time together over films and good food. She helped me realize how significant all my accomplishments have been. She resuscitated my lost belief in my self, in all that I could do. She didn't mock me for once nor say 'I told you so'. All that she that day was help me find myself again. And that really was 'cool' and 'awesome'(as the teenagers would say).

Well don't we have that saying..."A friend in need is a friend indeed"? Well, that particular day the one to resurrect me from ashes was my mother. She has always been there- from changing my diapers to helping me with homework, from walking my way to school to motivating me when all hell breaks loose. I owe my happiness to her. I owe her my life, my identity, my being. And it is her presence  that made me realize that Friendship isn't about whom you have known the longest… It’s about who came, and never left your side… 

So, I have discovered my true friend in this life. Have you?