Hola...
It's a crispy autumn day. The sun is shining mild and modest and gentle winds are kind of breathing heavily at times. Amidst all the pandemic fears the weather is changing and festive season is also around. It's completely optional if we choose to celebrate or not but nothing stops the cycle of life and culling our options are nothing less than rigorous. We all love our festivals.
A few days back on social media I stumbled upon my long lost friend whom I feel I had met many moons back. We weren't exactly friends but somehow we were attached. We went to different schools but same grade. We weren't neighbors or friends but knew each other well enough to rescue the other in case of any emergency. We knew each other houses but never visited. We always smiled and spoke sporadically but there was no deep friendship although we had a few mutual friends. Life was moving at same pace until teenage years threw a couple of friends off the radar.
I remember that evening. After school hours we returned home and followed the same conventional itinerary.When me along with a few of my neighborhood friends went for our playtime or some walking we could see many women talking something in whispers. The discussion seemed intense and intriguing both at same time. A few steps ahead we could gauge the severity of the topic. We raised our bunny ears and after lot of coaxing came to know that my friend had apparently eloped with his boyfriend. We were dumbstruck and found ourselves cold to respond to the news. Her mother was crying and her father seemed upset as he was talking to people around asking for ideas as to how to handle the situation. This was a topic of discussion over the next few days in our neighborhood and in school recess times and any free time we could have. A week later she was traced down by her family and her father convinced her to return to her family. A few of our friends family went to meet her but we didn't. I did see her after that but didn't know how or what to talk or enquire about. People stalked and stared her wherever she went. One could see her eyes and tell that she and her family members were disturbed. She wanted a regular life which seemed preposterous at that moment.
Society can be both giving and unforgiving at the same time. Perhaps she realized the extent of her mistake and wanted to leave all the baggage behind but people wont let her. Her family was constantly reminded of her deeds and taunts accompanied them everywhere. Her family was her support and they tried to heal her. Her father took a transfer of his job and they moved to a different state. The last time I saw her she was wearing a jeans and lilac top waiting for her father at a bus stop. They moved to a different state and we never heard about them.
Years later in these unprecedented times, social media comes to our rescue every now and then. It was during these lockdown and random looking at friends photo album I saw her name. I never assumed that it would be her but curiosity bites at times. It was her who looked more matured and posing with her children. I remembered her, but my memory scanned only our childhood faces. I wasn't sure if at all I should approach her but it felt inexplicably good to come across the face who were a part of your childhood.
We all grow, move out and continue on with our life. Nothing remains stagnant for ever and this pandemic won't be everlasting either. While we all are edgy and fidgety at this moment, let's keep calm and fight this. We have to fight both internally and calmly to remind ourselves that nothing is impossible for human kind. Yes, while fighting don't forget to show some love to people around you. It's the need of the hour...Stay safe & keep reading...
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