A Journey Made Easy by Uncommon People
187
Friends
A
s little children, friends were those with whom we played, laughed, fought and shared stories of sadness and happiness. We could play with whoever we liked. There was a lot of temporarity in these relationships as small fights could distance friends for life. The parents also took on them to interfere and stretch small incidents to become big, overprotecting their children. It happens even now, in schools, in neighbourhood, in families, among cousins! As children and young persons, you have some of your classmates as friends because you like them, share teachers, travel to your college or university either in buses, trains or even walk long distances from Shimla to Sanjauli in snow or in rain, when I was in college or to Summer Hill when I was at the university. We used to discuss books, teachers and movies, stopping in small tea shops, on our way back at the Indian Coffee House. It was a mixed group of boys and girls. In spite of the fact that I went to Convent of Jesus & Mary and later to St Thomas School, Papa made sure that I went to Government College, because it was a co-educational institution. He wanted me to have an experience of hostel life also at Government College, Mandi. I made friends but we all moved away. Nonetheless, whenever we meet we are happy and have remained friends. It was after marriage that I made friends. Devendra was my closest friend, colleagues, doctors, some neighbours and many
