Friends: Zindagi ke saath bhi, zindagi ke baad bhi!

Friendship is something that holds immense importance in the lives of many. We get acquainted with the term from our very childhood. We make friends at home and in the neighbourhood, in schools and colleges, at workplaces and so on. To understand the real meaning of friendship, we need to have a bunch of true friends. Friends whom we can rely on and expect them to lend a shoulder when exactly we need it.

There is no denying the fact that family is important and parents will have their place intact in our hearts all the time. But after a certain age, friends do occupy a larger amount of space in our lives. As we grow up, we may find ourselves in several circumstances when it is not possible to share everything with our parents; even if we share, our views and thinking could vary. In such situations, friends provide much-needed mental and emotional support.

We can share with our friends our first crush, first love, first heartbreak, little dirty secrets, our fears, disappointments, depressing workplaces, bitchy colleagues, horrible bosses, not-so-perfect married life, midlife crisis and everything under the sun. Though it is true that with time and life, friends also get busy and cannot give attention all the time, we should not forget that they will be around at crucial times.

In our school life, we are often guided by our friends in all matters. When we go for higher education, we have to leave behind these bunch of friends and learn to take decisions on our own. Initially, it becomes complicated when we don’t get our childhood friends around and have to deal alone with our problems and frustrations. But soon, we find new friends and that is the beginning of a new friendship.

Similarly, we go our different ways after college and start our professional life and our colleagues become our new go-to person and adviser, at times. Many say that only male bonding lasts and that men remain friends forever. Sorry to disappoint them, but women also make strong bonds who stick with each other through thick and thin.

However, it is necessary to mention here that if someone fails to keep in touch with his/her childhood and teenage buddies, it does not mean that he/she does not miss them. Thanks to social media, it is now so easy to stay connected and get updates about our friends, who have even settled far away in a distant land.

At the same time, we should always be cautious while choosing the right group of friends. While some are lucky to get such friends since childhood, there are others who go through the hit and trial method before making real friends.

Life is not easy and it might at times show its ugly face and create a divide between friends. Sometimes the scene becomes so cruel that even best friends turn worst foes. We have watched several Bollywood movies that have depicted friendship and the differences that creep in, souring the relationship.

A real friend is one who will guide you at your difficult times, one who will scold you if you are wrong and one who will appreciate you for your good work. And most importantly, who will stay with you throughout, even if you are wrong and will not leave you alone ever.

Our friends teach us to become strong and independent. They drive us from behind and will always be there to hold us anytime we are about to fall.

The author is a journalist and an amateur writer who loves to travel and explore new places.