Today I’m working on a presentation at my favourite coffee shop. It’s not just the usual coffee shop. It’s special. It’s where I used to come with my friends and spend time with them laughing, gossiping for reasons that bore no relevance.

It’s spring outside, the sun is shining bright. There are fresh flowers on the tables. Book shelves line the walls with books and coffee cups placed on them.

There is a beautiful scene painted on the wall in front of me. The chairs are comfy and very plush. Everything is just like before except that today, I don’t have my friends with me.

I have heard that life keeps on moving and today I feel-“it really does”- we graduated and went ahead to fulfil all the dreams that we had nurtured .

Today, I sit here with jokes, but, to my dismay there is no one to share them with. I reckon the innocent promises that we had made but little did we know that life had other plans for us.

Today, when I sit here I’m alone. It’s the same place where we vowed to be lifetime buddies, but, today it seems like it has been lifetime I met them.

Yes, certainly, I miss them, the good and bad times, tears, joy and laughter. All the memories together are flooding back.

The things we did back then, the things we shared have all gone now, resting in the past, but never forgotten. There are many situations where I sit back on my chair and a smile spreads across my face thinking of my pals, who, I wish were there with me at that moment.

I miss my friends so utterly that I can feel their absence every now and then. There are situations when we all think that if it could have been for my friend he would have replied in this manner or maybe he would have commented in his unique style.

From tender age, they taught me that they are a treasure; that they can and will bail me out when I get into trouble.

With friends you’re in for a merry ride, with loads of thrills, emotional banter, romance and camaraderie. They taught me that friends are something you make out of your choice and not due to any obligation.

As I write this, the most beautiful lines from Jagit Singh’s ghazal comes to my mind,

Na Duniya ka gham tha, na rishto ka bandhan,

Badi Khoobsurat thi wo zindagani, ( wo kagaz ki kashti wo barish ka pani)

I remember how we used to compete with the sound of the waves dashing against the shore with our laughter.

The excitement and thrill we felt on bunking the lectures and going for movies. How we used to soothe each other after being rebuked from our parents for not scoring well. How we never thought for a moment before getting in a fight just for our buddy.

The long hours we spent sitting in the canteen doing our future planning. The passion we showed during cultural fest which was never seen during exams.

Those were some golden memories that we created.

Today, on Friendship’s Day, I long for them and wish they were with me to relive all those beautiful memories.

Duniya bhar ki yaadein hamse milne aati hain, sham dhale iss sune ghar me mela lagta hai…