Not Again !

In the initial days whenever I went his home, the first question of his mother to me was always about his position in the class. Before I could reply anything to this he would interrupt in between and acknowledged her that he was best performing student in boys after me.

You never know when and by what actually competitive mind comes in play. Since that time he had scored better than me in many instances and when I had again risen my level it must had disappointed him. This ego of being better grows more when people who had no meaningful work left with them start comparing two persons.

Though internal difference keep on growing silently but the bond of humanity between humans always overshadows the differences and try to maintain love between the two. Our friendship remained as usual with only few changes due to role of ego.

He had joined the group which had the prime work of making me stock of laughter, they utilised every opportunity of passing comments on my imperfectness. But there was a difference in him and all others, after all the fun, while returning to home he would say; 'I have heard, those person achieves big in life who has capability of bearing his insults, so keep getting insulted.' Though said as sarcasm these words were inspiration for me.

He was the person who made my first facebook account for me when were enjoying our summer vacations after the final exams of ninth standard. I wanted this from long time but less access to mobile phones never allowed it. My father had brought a nokia asha series phone in which all kind of internet surfing was accessible. I had convinced my father for giving this phone to my mother so that most of the time it remains in the home and I could easily use it whenever father goes out for duty or any other work.

I was excited to send friend requests to all the friends whom I had met in last four years in the city. The first one in my mind was a girl beside whom I sat on the very first day I joined English spoken class in the city, 'Manisha'. In an introduction class her aim of being a miss world was opposed by me, on which someone commented, 'Do you want to marry her?' No one cared or remembered it later but it triggered friendship between us. She was from Bihar and too had given the C.G board exam of 5th standard. We always had a lot to talk about being a proud Bihari or the memories of the chapters we had read in C.G board books.

Our friendship grew like no one had of that kind there, though it was a flop but we both liked the story of the movie running those days in theatre; 'love story 2050'. We both teased each other by calling each other by funny characters of that movie. Once director of our coaching centre heard the same and called me to the podium for describing the whole movie in English. I narrated the whole story and at every mistake, she corrected it. Whenever she didn't come with her own vehicle, she waited for her father for receiving her in the temple in-front of that coaching centre. My home was merely half Km from there so I always stayed with her.

While talking, lots of our childish debates were concluded by the priest of that temple.

It was the Independence Day celebration, which was our last day in that coaching centre. We had completed our course of four months, I was sad from being parted away from such a close friend in my life.

I had made many friends in school which never let me remind her easily. Soon I came across a girl who lived near her home and had the same surname as her. I found it right asking whether she knew her or not. She was childhood friend of hers and had familiar relation with her family. Madhulika always told me anything special happening about her friend, which always refreshed her friendship in my mind.

I always sat beside her in the simultaneous row. Once in haste of going home she forgot her notebook under her desk, which was coincidently seen by me. I kept her notebook in my schoolbag and returned to home.

Next day when I came to class I saw her crying and threatening everyone to complain about the lost copy. I quickly brought out her copy from my bag and said, 'you have missed your copy under the desk, so I kept it with me.' She had been in a lot of worry for this and didn't accept my explanation. Why didn't you called me for informing this, you had stolen it for completing your notebook. Coincidently a day before I had been scolded by my Sanskrit teacher for my incomplete note-book which let her say these words.

I tried to elucidate but she trampled it till she own self realised that she had given her note-book to her friend and kept it under the desk when she returned it. The doubt on me was converted in extreme faith; she was ashamed for her behaviour. I was relieved; losing two friends at a time would have been huge loss.

With my first ever facebook account, I sent her my first friend request, which was accepted in few minutes. She was very active on facebook and saved me from the anxiety of thinking whether she would recognise me or not.

Only in few hours of chat, it seemed that we had never been far from each other. The understanding and comfort while talking was same as it was before four years. A trustworthy friend is must in human's life and she was the one in my life. All was going right. One night after my meal I was having chat with her, abruptly she said, 'How you dared to call me your girlfriend? Even if I would have been so, how did you think that you would play with my emotions and would leave anytime you want?'

I was stunned, I immediately warned her, 'Stop the non-sense, even if you had mood of contending with me don't use such loose words.'

'First you stop talking non-sense about me to your friends, didn't you value self respect of a girl, and you think you could say anything about me to anyone'

'To whom I had said all this?'

'Rohit'

Just two days back I had told him about her, I proudly described how much trust we had on each other and no situation could create misunderstanding between us. He probably had made his mind for altering my words.

'You believe in a boy whom you had not met once in your life and questioning me on his words.' 'Don't talk to him from next time.'

Our friendship was strong enough that after my refusal to those statements, she believed that I am innocent. But now the comfort between us while talking had decreased miserably.

When I countered Rohit on this, he tried to being my well-wisher by saying, 'dear friend I want you to keep away from her, she is not good for you.' All this was very funny for him but I had lost complete faith on him. The differences between us had widened like the banks of amazon. The war of egos had started and being a class monitor, I wrote his name on the blackboard on even a minor sound from his throat while maintaining the class in the absence of teacher and made him stand on his place to satisfy my ego.

Before this war could do any devastation, he had changed his school after the boards result. In all this we didn't realise our slumped prominence in class, many students had escalated their studying potential for board exam while we both were only busy in satisfying our self esteem.

Life edifies many lessons to human and never forgets to take test for it. Life had decided same for me. It was my 17th birthday, when it was announced in assembly there were three more who shared the same birth date. After the assembly our physics period had just started when the peon came in our class for notifying us to gather in meditation hall.

A boy from our city had been qualified for a scholarship in a foreign university. He was here for sharing his experience and the giving us elaboration for qualifying the same exam.

We all gathered in meditation hall, he entered there along with our principal sir.

He described everything about that scholarship exam whether it was benevolent or stinking. After completion of his motivational speech he gave us opportunity of asking us some questions about the competition. Few students asked question, when I saw towards my principle his face was in despair, he wanted us to ask us some quality question from that boy. I had no question for him as I had ignored his whole speech. I was busy in telling all the boys near me that his name is Sahil and he is the one with whom I used to play cricket at daily market.

After the completion of this, the students advanced towards their classes. I waited for Sahil outside the meditation hall. He had not forgot my birth date and firstly wished me while giving a hug. Our principal sir was observing this with unmoved eyes. He asked him about our friendship and Sahil responded with the same sentences which I was mentioning to my classmates during his speech.

After his meeting with our principle was over, I called him to our class. All my friends sat around him for asking him various experiences that he was going to have. I gave priority to making him promise all the things he would do for me when he would be successful.

Between the conversations he said, 'Sarvesh, principal sir was praising a lot about you. He claimed that you would top the 12th board exams in whole state.' I never anticipated this from him, I knew my position and it was difficult to top even in the city. We were taught sixteen principles in our school, the first one stated; seek the highest first. Probably my principle said this for boosting my confidence and pushing towards more labour for meeting his expectations. I said, 'yes, surely I would do so, if I work hard from now.'

Two of my friends who were actually topping in every exam were disappointed by this partiality done by principal sir. Both were cousin brothers, one of them was son of our physics teacher. The younger one named GAURAV, said, 'let's have a bet and see who scores better.' His elder brother, Sourav, who was actual topper of class, too supported his initiative.

Ok let's do it, I said with lot of vigour. The other second to it I realised and remembered, toward what these competitions could leads us. I spoke up in a hurry, NO leave all this, I know how hard it is to beat you. That day I had invested for the friendship which is benefiting me till now, having two loyal friends in life was much important than falling in trap of ugly competition.