I am participating in the 30 Days Letter Challenge where you write one letter each day. The first in the list is a letter to ‘Your Best Friend’.

 

Dear Best Friend,

Do you know what just made my day? The fact that the first letter of this challenge has to be addressed to you, my very first, and also my ‘bestest’ friend who walked into my life when I had resigned to being best-friend-less for the rest of my days. Irony, isn’t it, that with so many friends I didn’t have one to call my best-friend till you came along? Hmm… I can see it from here, that smug grin. Wipe it off your face, buster, and keep those feet planted firmly on terra firma. A fat lot of good it would do, your being my best friend, if you keep floating twenty feet above me because I called you my ‘bestest’ friend. We’d never have conversations, only shouting matches, and you know how bad that will be for my throat. I will never be able to sing.

I don’t know whether I have told you this (probably I have, but once more won’t hurt), I have always dreamt of having a best friend, right from primary school, just never got around to making one. In grade 3 there was Usha, a soft spoken girl who lisped. She had brownish hair tied in two long plaits, with blue ribbons. And she had so many friends. So I convinced myself she would never be my friend, though I badly wanted her to be. I mean, what did I have that the admirers who thronged around her could not offer her? Why would she even look my way? There you are. Even before I tried, I had given up. That’s what’s wrong with me. I give up, too easily. But then, I bet you already know that.

My idea of best friends was something like the one between Darrel and Sally. You of course know who they are, the girls from the Mallory Tower series of Enid Blyton. I couldn’t decide who I wanted to be, the fiery and hotheaded Darrel or the calm and collected Sally. At about this time, if you were with me now, you’d tell me, ‘Relax Shail(a), you are neither! Your are you.” Whaddya know, so I am. But that did not stop me ever from dreaming of being a Sally to some Darrel or a Darrel to a Sally. But when I finally ended up with a best friend, and here I cannot help but smile, it turned out to be a ‘he’. Now who would have thought that? Not me. Not from the times I grew up in when friendship between man and woman was not only frowned upon (still is, as a matter of fact), but considered impossible. The debate is still raging, and this in the land that is aware of the friendship between Krishnaa and Krishna.

Before meeting you, I thought best friends generally would be similar to each other. To my surprise we are opposites. It may not have been obvious in the beginning, but we undeniably are. Yet that did not stop friendship from flowering. There is nothing in the world I would hesitate talking about with you. And do you know what I like best about you? The fact that you take the bull by its horn. If there is an unpleasant topic, you make sure to bring it out in the open and discuss it. I find that an admirable quality in anyone. Most people I know like sweeping things under the carpet and pretending all’s well. There I go once again giving you more reasons to go floating. Come back, come back!

You know what, BF. It’s pretty late and I am feeling too sleepy. I just got back from a dinner date with friends. The tummy is full and drowsiness is interfering with my ability to sparkle and shine, and the wit to flow. Besides, this is the first of the series of letters. Once I settle down to it, well then it will be a different matter. So come back and read my letters all through this month, okay? Who knows, I just might write you another one, if you fit the category that is.

Good night dear BF

Smile, always.

Lots of love and hugs

Your Forever Friend.

 

From the archives, a post on a friend: The Penguin from Antarctica.

©Shail Mohan 2014