THE STORY OF 10 FRIENDS

Prologue/ Dedication

I wouldn’t start this short story with the line “Once upon a time there lived 10 great friends”, because this could be within ourselves. I do not know how others look at it, but I would say it just came out of me. It might be my attempt of knowing the truth of life. I don’t know that exactly. Any ways, I dedicate this to all whom. I think are my closest and dearest friends.

The Story

As you might have guessed there were 10 friends who would never part with each other. Rather each one of them thought like that. They would help each other in their academics as well as in times of relaxing and enjoyment. In common, they were close. It so happened that they at last came to the end of their graduation with each one of them placed under a good job to lead their lives. But the unfortunate thing was they had to part with each other as they had been deputed to different places to work out in their jobs. As this was inevitable and they didn’t want to loose each other’s contact as well, they all came out with a solution or rather a conclusion that at the end of each year, they all had to meet at their college so that they all could get together atleast once a year. And so it was decided and each one of them happened to return happily to their work places.

Now, it so happened that after one year, they all remembered their so called “Maintaining The Friendship” rule and so they all, did meet at their college. They had a very good time, each one of them narrating their experiences, success and failures that they had in the span of one year. And so at the end of the day, they had to say good bye again until the next year and had to get back to their normal lives. This continued for the next 2 years. But the 4th year had brought about a drastic change in each individual. Each one of them had a different perspective of looking at life and each one seemed to pose that his problems were the biggest or his success was the greatest. This contrasting nature was growing in almost each one of them. The most surprising thing was that there were only 8 people that year instead of being ten. And even surprising was the fact that nobody knew exactly why 2 of them failed to come that year. Even then, not bothering much about that, the remaining 8 guys spent the day in each others company. But nobody seemed to enjoy the “Get-together” as they would before. The following year was even more worst as the number had reduced to 5. Shocking for the reader, but again, nobody knew exactly why others had missed the party. It was as though a continuation of the previous year’s feeling and everyone seemed to be in an urgent to get away from the group. Now, as you would expect the number reduced drastically each other and finally it came to a situation when just a single guy came over to the college to meet his longing friends and found that he was all alone that year.

Now, this guy started thinking about his past life. He remembered the days when all his friends were together in all kinds of situations and not bearing the partition of friends’ decided to call up each one of them and ask why they had not turned up. To his amazement, he found out that many of them did not even remember his name. Shocked by this, the “stand-alone” guy started moving towards the temple which was at the entrance of the college. He sat over the stone bench there and feeling extremely sad, asked god “Oh lord!! What a mishappening…….isn’t this bad on your part??........why did you separate us??........atleast on my part, what was my mistake? Is it that I remained true to our friendship? Or was it the fact that I didn’t want to part with my best friends?”

And sizzling, came a stream of lightning and our ‘Stand-Alone’ hero heard the almighty’s supreme voice: “My dear friend, don’t you really realize why this happened? Its not at all your fault. This has happened because the people who think are your best friends are not worthy of your true friendship. You have proved yourself worthy of the greatest thing on earth called FRIENDSHIP. This span of 8 years was a test for all of you and I would say your dear friends have failed miserably in this. Its not important whom you befriend but its important how loyal you are to that friendship. So my dear son, do not worry. You will bestowed with friends who deserve your company.”

There it is. That’s the end of the story. It doesn’t matter wether our hero got other friends or not. Its now the question of how true you stand to your friendship. I believe you will have an answer for this.

Thanx for spending your time to read this story. I would definitely want our comments over this. And mind you, its compulsory. Do give your comments and thoughts. I will be waiting.