The very thought of meeting her estranged friend after years brought back nostalgic memories of those wonderful moments that had defined their lives. They had spent the prime of their youth together, in the same hostel room, sharing those little niggling secrets that failed to remain concealed within the ‘naughty heart’. Those were the days, when life was filled with mirth and bliss, and every man who passed their path, glared at their intoxicating beauty. They were the best of friends till one day, the strong emotional connect manifested itself into a fireball of mutual hatred. It was an unforgettable day, when their little insecurities snowballed into a controversy resulting in anger, mistrust, hatred and separation. It was the last time they shared a parting glance, to exist in a world ‘ignorant of the other’.

It was now over a decade. With passing time, their anger had turned into emotional pain. Both were deeply hurt at the unfortunate turn of events. There was a sense of regret that remained camouflaged due to their flaring ego. Both were unwilling to ‘give-up’ on their stance- “I’m right’, so they thought, but in true friendship there was never a ‘right’ or a ‘wrong’. There were days when Mona would sob in bed, unable to conceal her pain-‘the greater the attachment, the greater the pain in separation’.
With time, both got busy in their respective lives, creating a world for themselves. ‘It’s a forgotten chapter’ they convinced themselves, yet the niggling pain of separation would promptly pop up during moments of elation, diminishing the joy of a profound moment of success. During those good old days, a moment of elation would translate to an exaggerated conversation that lasted through the night. They shared life within the dingy confines of their little room.

Mona sat along the window of the car, feeling the warm breeze of the mid-summer afternoon. It was ages since she met her dear friend Reema. After years of defiance, she had finally mustered her courage to make amends. “It’s so silly to have fought that day”, she thought.

Maturity and a broader understanding of life today, made her feel foolish to have parted ways over trivial issues. It took years of coaxing and ‘ego-appeasement ‘to take this long ride to meet her friend. A mixture of emotions engulfed her mind. The possible reaction by Reema, on seeing her, was stirring an internal tsunami of possibilities. Unmindful of the disturbing heat, she kept gazing out of the window, staring at the passing fields like an aimless mind. Deep within were a deluge of emotions -fear, apprehension, pain and a tinge of happiness for having finally made a decision to meet her best friend.

Her car came to a grinding halt and she continued to gaze out of the window. A moment of unanticipated silence is all it took to bring her back to her senses. She was finally there, only a couple of moments that separated the two friends. It was a surprise visit and Mona only hoped that the visit wouldn’t turn sour. For a moment, she felt like asking her driver to retrace the path. After a moment of profound introspection, she finally mustered her courage and slowly stepped out of the car. Every step forward, was like an arduous walk up the mountain terrain. Her fingers gently pressed the calling bell. The soothing music of the bell pierced the hall. These were anxious moments of anticipation. The door slowly creaked open and a servant girl promptly struck her head out.

“Who’s it? “, came a voice.

“Reema? “, she gently replied, not knowing what to tell.
The servant girl disappeared to call her “Memsahib”, unable to infer an answer.

Mona stood in lonely bliss, gazing at the chirping birds, atop the roadside tree.

“ Mon..a” , a voice broke out .There was a moment of blankness. It was a familiar voice, a voice that she had cherished to hear.

She looked around and their eyes met. The two gazed at each other, overwhelmed by the gravity of the moment. There was a prolonged moment of silence.

Would there be an outburst of inflated emotions?

Mona stood anticipating the worst. She was for once reminded of that unforgiving day.

The hanging wall clock, promptly rang the ‘hour bell’, bringing both back to their senses.

Reema slowly broke into a hesitant smile. There were unexplainable emotions of joy and regret. She had been waiting for this day since ages. She didn’t know what to say.

“You have put on weight”, she finally blurted.

“So have you “, replied Reema in a heavy voice.

In a moment, the pile of inhibition was shattered by words of irrelevance.

The two friends hugged each other in a moment of ‘reconciliatory bliss’. Tears rolled down those feminine cheeks, shedding their emotions that had wrecked havoc all these years. These were moments of infinite and indescribable joy.

In a while, the two were back to their witty best, cracking jokes on the foolish acts of their yesteryears. It never seemed they had parted ways.

God alone knew, what kept them away this long.

Relationships are bound to have differences; it is for us to bridge the gap.

Life is too small to crib over yesterday’s and worry about tomorrow’s.

Make a difference in your life, by bridging the gap with your loved ones!

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