Share to Spread Love
He asked, “Lately, I have seen that you have been pondering a lot. What is bothering you?”
She replied, “Nothing is bothering me; I am simply wishing for something, hoping for it to materialize in my life.”
Quite curiously, He inquired, “What’s wrong? Why won’t you tell me? Perhaps I can help.”
“Of course, I can share it with you. It’s not a secret,” She assured. “I’m asking for a friend who is like me. I have been friendless for so many years. Now, it is high time to have at least one genuine friend. No one deserves to be friendless. It’s a terrible feeling.”
He was astonished. This unexpected response left him flabbergasted & he asserted, “But why on earth do you need a friend? You have siblings & relatives & moreover, you have me, your husband! Why do you covet to have a friend with so many people around? I clearly don’t understand!”
She saw that He was being too rational. With a wry smile, she explained, “You are right, hubby; I have relatives & of course, I have you, but you all are related to me by societal or familial bonds. You are not my friends!”
She emphasised, paused & added, “My parents, siblings, colleagues, acquaintances & so on – I can be cordial with them, but I can never experience true friendship because the actual association always take precedence & friendship takes a backseat. There is a boundary around every connexion that prevents us from fully embracing the role of a friend. You see, there is a difference between being friendly & being a friend.”
He was trying to understand what She was conveying. He realised that he spends time with his pals regularly, but She is always available for everyone, neither going out nor chatting on the phone or social media. He was reminded that She had a large group of friends before marriage, but then she got separated from them all & since then, she has been confined to home & her duties.
He glanced sympathetically towards her as She continued, “Over the period, I have fathomed that when you are friendless, you look for friendship in every relationship, in every encounter & when you don’t find it, you feel hurt. This, in turn, affects the original tie ups. Hence, to get the true essence of every relationship, having at least one true friend is vital. A friend can put life back into all your bondings. You interact with everyone as it should be without searching for any other aspect because you know a special someone is already filling that category. It is said that a friend in need is a friend indeed, however I say, sometimes it is only a friend that you need.” ~Poonam
{Dedicated to the special someone who reformed the status from ‘Friendless’ to ‘Friendshipped’}