Some say that if a friendship lasts for 7 years or more, the bond is likely to last for a lifetime. Well, that’s not always the case. It takes just one situation to turn the game around. Life is pretty unpredictable that way. People keep coming and going from your life even when you’re not ready to let go of them. This is exactly what happened with my bestie and me.
We weren’t friends for just 7 years – we were childhood chaddi buddies. We did everything together! Right from kindergarten to college, we’d seen each other grow in various ways. Having a friend like her was as rare as finding a pearl in an oyster. She’d seen me in good times as well as bad; I’d done the same for her. She was closer to me than my very own sister. She knew my crushes, deepest darkest secrets and, of course, offered me great advice whenever I goofed up. There were days where our parents thought we were inseparable. I spent days and nights at her place. Watching movies, gossiping, painting our nails, reading magazines… these were things we would do almost every day. The best part about her was that she was always a call away when I needed her the most. That’s the beauty of true friendship, right?
As far as my professional life was concerned, I never really had a fixed plan. To my luck, the universe was always kind to me. It always put me in situations that led me to my calling. As for her, right from day one, I knew she wanted to do something around fashion. It was something she was extremely passionate about. She knew all the possible top designers, what was in vogue and had a great sense of style. Unfortunately, though, opportunities never knocked at her door. She always had to make that extra effort to chase her dreams.
When she used to hear about the good things that came my way, she never said it, but from her tone and vibe, I knew she wasn’t happy for me. She slowly started cutting off from me. Not replying to my texts, making silly excuses to not meet up, started hanging around with new friends. It took me a couple of months to understand that she didn’t want my company anymore. The sad part was, I didn’t know the real reason. Until one day…
You see, the fashion world is very small. Once you’re a part of it, everyone knows everyone. Anyway, one fine day, I had to go for a work event. This occasion was open to anyone who was serious about fashion. It was a launch of a new collection and all the bigwigs from the glamour industry were there. To my surprise, I spotted my bestie there too! I was overjoyed and immediately went up to her to strike up a conversation. You won’t believe what she did that day – she ignored me like I didn’t exist. I was taken aback. I started to seriously question myself, whether I had done something wrong to her in the past.
I sent her a text the next day asking her what’s up. After a couple of days she replied saying just one word: “Nothing”. Something was definitely not right. So I called her, and she picked up. I asked her if she was troubled or had I done something to offend her. She said something that broke my heart: she said I didn’t deserve to be in the place where I was.
I didn’t say a word, I just hung up. I knew that the accusation came from jealousy. I had done nothing wrong to her, I did not deserve for her to look down upon me or my professional success. Best friends don’t do that. They’re always happy for each other, no matter what.
From that day onwards, she stopped talking to me or taking my calls. There was nothing I could do to mend the bond. I didn’t want us to end on such a sour note. Given a chance, I wanted things to be like they were in the past. I wanted my bestie back. I guess this is what life does. If some people aren’t meant for you, it takes them away from you, whether you want it or not.
If a day comes where we do cross paths again, and she’s changed for the better, I would love to start on a clean slate. That’s what best friends do. They don’t give up on each other, no matter what! I know what we had was special, and it’s not worth throwing away because of an immature emotion like jealousy. I won’t force her, though, I’ll give her the space she needs and wait till she comes around. Once she does, I’ll welcome her back with open arms.*Fingers crossed*
Images: Shutterstock
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