The Tale of Two Friends

He sighed in contentment as the wind ruffled his hair and her soft chuckling whisked through the air like a soulful melody. They were lying on the green grass with their arms clasped firmly, drowning in nostalgia,  for isn’t reliving the joyful memories of the past the best way to spend a lazy afternoon?  “ This feels so good”, she says, indicating their entwined hands, lighting up the whole meadow with that heavenly smile of hers. She had always been the sensitive one, the one with the empathy, his emotional anchor that kept their friendship intact.

 Nothing mattered in comparison to each other and the million moments that they had shared together.Their epic journey began with the “Hello, would you like to have your lunch with me and my friends?” that she said to the shy little boy who was new in school and was strengthened by the “It will all be OK, I promise” that he said as she sobbed on his shoulders when a trusted friend broke her heart. He was very protective of her, something which never ceased to thrill her as to her, he was better than the brother she never had. She kept his head above the water and was by his side , calming him and keeping him going whenever his gruelling schedule got the better of him. “Hey, what are you getting so misty-eyed about?” she asked, snapping him out of his reverie.

He looked up at her remembering that day when she was the one with the tears of happiness shining brightly in her eyes as the two of them celebrated their dreams coming true. “I was thinking about that unforgettable party ”, he said. “Wait, is that the one where I landed the job of my dreams and you finally plucked up the courage to tell your dad that you wanted to write real stories and not just scribble some stuff on a prescription pad?” she asked, trying hard to not laugh and failing miserably. “Ah yes, that fateful night”, he remarked, recalling how she had relentlessly persuaded him to stand his ground and make his own path in life.

Incident after incident flooded his brain and he found himself wishing for a time-turner so that he could physically re-experience each and every one of them like the time they spent an entire evening debating about Harry Potter or the time they tried karaoke and pretended they were the lead singers of the band, Lady Antebellum. Suddenly, he heard the snapping of fingers and blinked in confusion only to find her staring at him with a slightly annoyed expression. “If I had known that all you wanted was a nap , I wouldn’t have hiked a mile just to hear you snore.”, she grumbled.  “Sorry, you know how easily I get lost in my thoughts”, he said , smiling apologetically.  “Well, if you had been listening you would have heard me ask you that if you were granted one wish, then what would you ask for?”, she said, glaring at him mischievously.

He looked at her seriously,  pretending to concentrate while already knowing what she expected him to say. “Well, I know you want me to say something cheesy like I wish this moment would never end but you know that I have always wanted to take a selfie while bungee jumping from the top of the Niagara falls.” he said mockingly while shaking with laughter. Their friendship had survived everything, jealous boyfriends, ever- speculating classmates and over- concerned well-wishers right from the nosy lady on the bus to the rickety old watchman in their neighbourhood. She shook her head at him apparently amused and whispered “Promise that we’ll stay this way forever?” He replied with a single word, “Always”.