Tossing out my best friend

I felt very uneasy, the letter brought too many memories. Bitter and Pleasant memories. Why now after all these years? I read his letter again.

Hi Thahir,

Why all the fury with me. I believe we were and are good friends. Cool down a little bit. I don't want to sound philosophical, "friends forgive". I apologize for not informing/inviting for my marriage. I have very few friends and don't want to lose any.

I don't know your whereabouts for the past 4 years. What is happening and how are you doing. Let me know of what you have been up to. I hope to hear from you and do let me know your phone number.

Best Regards,

He was my best friend. Nobody filled that place like he did. We studied together, I was a regular member in his house, I loved his family, his mom's dosa's were the most delicious food I ever had. They treated me with lots of love, the whole family. They were a Hindu family, I frequently stayed in their house and my bed was arranged in their prayer room. 'That' was my place in that family.

I am too picky while making best friends, I mean, the kind of ones you will give the complete key of your life. I prided in having couple of ones like that. I still do have few and he was the first in the list. I lost him when he married.

My whole family knew the privilege he had in my life, he always came in our conversations years and miles away. One day I received a rather big post from USA. All my family was around when I opened it. It was his wedding photos along with the couple's picture somewhere in US. My best friend had been to India, married, took his wife to US and he never bothered to tell me.!!!. Pin drop silence, nobody said a thing, the writing was on the wall, OVER n DONE.

That was more than four years back, he was working in US all these times, he send me his Kids photo after that, I did not respond. Now he wanted to know my colors. I got no colors buddy, I gonna show you Black and White. It pained me while writing this, but its time to close this, we don't need each other any more. Let's pull the cable between us. I slowly and painfully started writing him a response.


Hi Fren

We were good friends. Infact I always in my life counted friends using my one hand, and it never used many fingers. You were the first one at that time. Times change my fren, we do not belong to the same level anymore. 

People at different levels cannot be 'Best friends' that is a general rule. 

Whatever reasons you had in not informing me about your marriage, may be unknown to you, was the reason that I din 'fit in' your current status. I care little about not being able to attend the wedding. What struck me like a bolt was the understanding that we do not belong to the same place any more. If you could remember to forget me, well then times for sure had changed. I enjoyed your friendship when we were friends, I cherish those thoughts, but past is past, I cannot think of me being your good friend any more. Your old good friend - maybe, your good friend now - not a chance.

I am at present working in <country> as a Consultant with my wife and my Kids. My wife takes special care not to bring any discussion about you between us. Well we all love you, but does not wish to renew that friendship unless you need MY help, which I think won't happen, God willing.

Don't waste both of our time calling me to tell me how good frens we were or how wrong I am thinking about levels, for anything else I am available at <phoneNumber> 

Regards

Thahir

'Coffee' came my wife with a steaming cup. While sipping it I murmered 'Bye my fren, I am sad to see you go but u r a finished book' and I clicked on 'Send'.