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A woman describes her special bond with her long lost friend after 25 years. Read it. We assure, it will just want you go back to your childhood friends.
The truck loaded with suitcases and cartons was ready to take us to our destination. Through the window of the cabin seat I looked one last time at the cherubic face of my nine-year-old best friend. The ribbons on her pigtails matched the bright red colour of the flowers on her knee-length frock. With a wide smile, her hands dancing to and fro she was bidding me a playful adieu. This wasn’t a typical teary farewell for two close friends who had known each other since infancy.
In my own head there was no room for sadness for it was clouded with excitement and joy at the prospect of moving to a big city. A few months back my father had announced his new posting. It was his first ever in the nine years of my life. A part of me knew that I would miss many things about our small township –the neighbourhood school at walking distance from home, our huge garden laden with fruit trees and vegetable patches, our adopted street puppy and most importantly my cherished friendship. Yet the ecstasy of living in a new city overshadowed all other emotions. And, of course, we had promised to keep in touch through letters.
At first they came at regular intervals full of sundry details. She wrote about our common friends, mundane developments at school and local gossip that excited nine-year-olds. My own letters were packed with several travails of my new life. I shared notes on the unfamiliarity of the big city, adjusting to life in multi-storied apartments, about missing our garden, the huge community playgrounds where we met unknown children every day and the friends I had made at school. Over the years, the letters dwindled in numbers to ultimately make just annual appearances.
I had by now made a fresh set of friends, become a pro at changing schools and houses, and progressed to the street smart ways of the big city. Yet those letters remained special. They were the last thread to the world of my idyllic childhood. As fewer people in those days had phone connections and email was yet to achieve mass popularity it was practically impossible to find the whereabouts of a person. All I could do was wait. Doubts clouded my mind. Had she found a new best friend or did she shift to another city? Will I ever hear from her again? The questions popped up time and again. Finally I resolved to write that one last letter. I made it appear as casual as possible, hiding my despair and disappointment. The wait for her letter stretched from months to a year till I eventually lost hope.
Meanwhile life was blooming. Acne, crushes, soap operas and the school grind were taking centre stage. College, career, new friends, travel, marriage and motherhood – I went on to lead a full life. As I pursued numerous passions and made life connections with several individuals, somewhere on my to- do list was to trace my childhood friend. Then social networking snowballed into our lives. Long lost friends were getting reunited, old crushes were located, classmates reconnected. Yet I could not trace her. Life was busy and travelling to find her in that small town remained a distant dream.
Out of the blue one day, a few years ago, I found a familiar name online who could lead me to her. Before I knew it I had a phone number. With shaking hands and a surreal sensation, I dialled it. The voice at the other end was surprisingly recognisable – the same high pitch and enthusiasm. Scenes from our childhood flashed across my eyes. We chatted for over an hour and exchanged notes on our lives. Some months later a reunion was planned. Together with our families we met. It was an emotional moment. One evening was not enough to catch up on 25 lost years. At the gate while leaving I thanked her better half for having made the effort of taking an overnight train journey with two small kids who had missed school to meet us. “How could I not? After your first call she just broke down, I knew you were someone special in her life.”
Cover image via Shutterstock
Tessy Koshy is an independent journalist who has written on a variety of issues in a career spanning 15 years. She blogs at https://middleeastmasala.wordpress.com/. read more...
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People say that women are the greatest enemies of women. I vehemently disagree. It is the patriarchal mindset that makes women believe in the wrong ideology.
The entire world celebrates International Women’s Day on March 8, 2024. It should be a joyful day, but unfortunately, not all women are entitled to this privilege, as violence against women is at its peak. The experience of oppression pushes many women to choose freedom. As far as patriotism is concerned, feminism is not a cup of tea in this society.
What happens when a woman decides to stand up for herself? Does this world easily accept the decisions of women in this society? What inspires them to be free of the clutches of the oppression that women have faced for ages? Most of the time, women do not get the chance to decide for themselves. Their lives are always at the mercy of someone, which can be their parents, siblings, husband, or children.
In some cases, women do not feel the need to make any decisions. They are taught to obey the patriarchal system, which makes them believe that they are right. In my family, I was never taught to make decisions on my own. It was always my parents who bought dresses and all that I needed.
14 years after her last feature film Dhobi Ghat, storyteller extraordinaire comes up with her new film, Laapataa Ladies, a must watch.
*Some spoilers alert*
Every religion around the world dictates terms to women. The onus is always on women to be ‘modest’ and cover their faces and bodies so men can’t be “tempted”, rather than on men to keep their eyes where they belong and behave like civilized beings. So much so that even rape has been excused on the grounds of women eating chowmein or ‘men will be men’. I think the best Hindi movie retort to this unwanted advice on ‘akeli ladki khuli tijori ki tarah hoti hai’ (an alone woman is like an open jewellery box) came from Geet in Jab We Met – Kya aap gyan dene ke paise lete hain kyonki chillar nahin hain mere paas.
The premise of Laapataa Ladies is beautifully simple – two brides clad in the ghunghat that covers their identity get mixed up on a train. Within this Russian Doll, you get a comedy of errors, a story of getting lost, a commentary on patriarchy’s attitude towards women, a mystery, and a tale of finding oneself, all in one. Done with a mostly light touch that has you laughing and nodding along.
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