Friends for Life

One thing that I really value in life is the company of good friends. Good genuine friends, who will, God willing, turn out to be friends for life, friends who care and this I have learnt from the time I was knee high.

Right from the time I became aware of my world, I have known them. They have always been part of our life. The five of them and then one more joined later. And now while the number has dwindled by two, the love is there for all to see.

I am talking of my dad and his three childhood friends and their spouses. Their friendship spans almost 50 years and they are all in their 60s now. And they are the only true family that my dad has had, apart from us of course. They have shared countless joys and sorrows and been there for each other always.

Let me briefly introduce them NP, PD and JM (that is dad) have been diaper buddies, who lived, played in the same streets of old Bombay and studied in the same class and school. Then they all went to separate colleges, but their friendship still remained intact. Then came RT who was more dad’s friend but who gradually grew thick with all of them. So all in all they were 4 close friends.

As their fortunes grew, they all shifted residence from old Bombay to the swankier area of Malbar Hill. This was a stroke of destiny, that allowed them to still be within 10 to 15 mins of walking distance.

Then they got married. Normally after marriage, there are chances that one drifts apart. But fortunately it did not happen with them. The reason being their wives too found companionship with each other and they were like one big happy family. Even this friendship is regarded with equal respect by everyone’s extended families. Whenever there is a function in the others family, the rest of them are always invited.

Wherever they went touring in India, be it the South circuit or the char dham yatra in Uttaranchal, or Goa, among the many others, they always did it together. Recently on my dad’s 67^th birthday on 1^st April, all of them went for an overnight trip to Matheran and enjoyed themselves.

In 1980, my parents had an altercation with my grandparents and as a result, they were out on the roads, but found haven in the home of dad’s friend RT for a year before our home in Vile Parle got ready. For three years dad lived away from his friends. Only in terms of geographical distance, but they never lost touch with each other. The relationship continued as usual, growing stronger, and as luck would have it, my granny fell ill and three years later, we were back in Malabar Hill where we came from. Its been 23 years since then

Five years back, tragedy struck, on the eve of my cousin’s wedding reception. After dinner, RT (who had come for the wedding with his wife) had a heart attack and within an hour of my meeting him, he died. It was such a major shock for us! Here he was a while back and then he was no more! Unbelievable. It was like one pillar of the four, was lost forever. And as if this was not enough, a few months later NP lost his wife to a major stroke of diabetes.

 Left behind were one widow and one widower. A moment of discomfort in the relationship, right? No, that is the sheer beauty of their friendship. They all go out together for movies and their walks to the Hanging Gardens, have dinner at each others homes on Sundays and have lots of fun too. I sometimes envy them sooooo much.

Their hearts have grown fonder, their feelings for each other stronger. And time has brought them even closer to each other. What more does one wish for?

For them everyday is a Friendship Day.