kanak

Dear Shireen,
I went for the school reunion yesterday. Almost everyone was there. The minute I entered and didn’t see you there I was disappointed. I had been expecting to see you and it felt strange to talk to our school friends without you beside me. I remember us sitting together on those school benches for almost four years. Remember eating in class? We’d devour your lunchbox first, it being something different every day, and then we’d turn to my boring one. And after all this, we’d still be hungry at lunch time and run to the canteen as soon as the bell rang. And the gossip! If someone could be awarded a PhD in gossiping it would have to be us. Gossip about who nursed a secret crush on whom, who was going out with whom, the teachers, the teachers favorite students, the seniors; there was absolutely nothing that we didn’t gossip about. From studying to music classes and swimming we were always together, so much so that people called us Siamese twins.
I wonder when and how we lost touch. We passed out of school and interests differed.We went to different colleges and made new friends. We started spending weekends with our new friends. Our old hangouts paled before the new ones our colleges offered us. We wanted to do different things on the rare weekends that we were free.Your house that had been only a rickshaw ride away seemed very far away. Then my family moved to a different suburb and the distance became too long to travel.
I went through the old scrapbook we had made together eons ago and photographs of the two of us were smiling up at me from every page. Photographs of us gawky in braces and school uniforms, photographs of stayovers and school picnics. I really miss you. And I know you are going to reply to this. I am dying to know what you have been up to these three years; which college do you attend now? What course are you doing? Have you taken up law like you always wanted to? And do you have a boyfriend? I remember there was nothing more we wanted in school. As for me, I’ve graduated with a BA in economics. Since economics didn’t interest me at all I’m now doing my post graduation in mass communication. It’s something I should have done three years ago but better late than never. I still enjoy reading books just as much as I used to and I have started learning Spanish. It’s so much fun learning a foreign language. I go trekking very often with my college nature club. I love writing and I am planning career in journalism. Tai is now in Australia, she did her post graduation in biotechnology and is now working there. And can you believe it; I’ve learnt tarot card reading! This is something I always wanted to learn and finally did last summer. I am in touch with most of our school friends but only through Facebook, we rarely get together.
I know we are not best friends anymore but we can always start anew. I don’t want to lose a wonderful friendship because of such trifle issues. I am sending you this old photo of ours taken on the last day of school to remind you of unforgettable time we spent together. Reply soonest, I can wait to hear from you.
Love
Kanak.