My Best Friend – A Short Story

My Best Friend – A Short Story


The incident I’m describing is from my school days. It was the winter of January

It was an icy cold night of February in Delhi. I was crying in the corner of my room as my mother was shouting on me. It wasn’t my mom shouting mom which made me cry, it was the reason for which she was shouting at me. I had lost my tuition bag and my Science and English textbooks along with it. I felt as if my whole world had fallen. I had no idea what to do. I year end examination were due in 15 days. I thought, I’d take one of my friend’s notebooks and copy the notes. But that didn’t seem as a feasible idea. I can’t ask my school friends for notebooks, where the hell would they study from? I can’t ask for my tuition mates for help as they had their exams lined up in a couple of weeks too. Copying notes from one to other textbook wasn’t going to be an easy job too. It would at least take 3 days of time. Then, I talked to chachi (Aunt), who used to live with us (we were kind of joint family), to copy one subject’s note for me, as she had the best handwriting in my family.

But still, I didn’t have the notes to copy from. I knew every hour I was loosing was precious and had to come up with a solution really soon. I know, this was the time to test my friends but I didn’t want to do it. I was scared of the fact that what will happen if they don’t help? This would certainly create some issues between me and my friends. Though, I completely understand that gives your notebooks to someone else, when your exams are hanging on your head, wasn’t only their own decision. I knew many of my friends mothers wouldn’t allow them to do that. No body wants their kid of suffer because of some other dumb ass, irresponsible kid.

Well, yea, you guessed it correctly. I thought about it more than I did. I made up my mind that my friends won’t help me without even asking them for help. And, yes, I’m still as confused as that kid was in 8th standard.

The day after, I’d lost my bag; I was sitting in my room and getting frustrated. Cursing my fate, abusing god and whomsoever, I could blame it on. Then, somebody knocked on the door. I opened it and there she was. Yea, even I was surprised. I hadn’t seen her since 5th standard, when I changed school. Even though, she livid a couple of blocks away from my place, we kind of drifted apart after I moved to new school. We were good friends but ‘school’ good friends. Even during my earlier school life, there were rare chances I went to her home or she came to mine.
I couldn’t believe her sitting in front of me. But, to top that, I couldn’t believe what she did for me. She brought her Science and English notebooks and not for me to copy from them. She gave the notebooks to me. Even though, we studied in different school but our schools were CBSE affiliated, thus, were following the same syllabus.

Me: - I’ll copy them and return ASAP
Her: - No need to copy. Return them after your exams are over
Me: - But, what about your exams?
Her: - Don’t you remember? We have exams in mid April in this school.

She told me that my mom met her, early in the morning, at the Mother Dairy and asked if she could help. Then, I realized how perfectly the issue was solved without anyone suffering.

I don’t know and still can’t figure it out that if she was best friend. But, on that day, for me she was a godsend. I used to be good at studies but thanks to her, I stood second in my class that year. But, things went normal again. I didn’t see much of her again, other than the few moments of me passing by her on the road and her passing the smile. The last time I heard about her was when she was getting married.

A Friend Called "Morale Booster"

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I thought this would be the easiest topic to write about. But, it’s proving to be such a pain in the rear. Actually, this is all happening cause this is the first time I’m trying to categorize my friends as best, good and not-so-good friends. It’s because of the same reason it’s so difficult to choose one especial person from a huge group of people.

Sam And Frodo

The choice, really, isn’t easy for me. I had to go really deep down memory lane to recollect all those instances when and where someone became my savior for the day. Who is that one person? Can it be my friend who got beaten up, for the thing I did, by the teacher and he didn’t blame it on me. Can it be my friend who helped me with my studies, even if helping me, at that moment could have affect S’s own results? Or is it the person who trusts me more than anyone and shares secrets with me?


I tried searching internet for a definition of a Best Friend, so that, I can fit in one person from my life to it and see if he/she matches the ideal/best friend’s arguments. But friend/best friend is one term/word which even google couldn’t define.


So, to come out of this dilemma, I choose, which can be categorized as THE lamest question, the “Who is that one person (friend) I’d take with me to a deserted island??”

The only name which came to my mind was of S’s. S is one person who has always been there. S is my “I’ll be there for you” person. Some one who’d always be there when I look behind. S has never bored me. S is the only person with whom I can converse with more than 5 mins without getting distracted. S is the person who picks my calls even if I call at 2 in the midnight.

Chandler and Joey

S and I go long back. We were school classmates. I exactly remember the day when I joined my new school and my class teacher told me go sit with S as she knew me and S come from same locality and that I knew S before. We spent 7 great school years together. We used to spend the whole summer vacation together, if, not waiting for each other to return. It’s difficult to describe how we came close and how the bond became stronger. It wasn’t just one moment which changed everything. It was an effort we both had put, over the years, in every moment, every other day to build up the trust we share today.


Today, it’s been exactly one year and three months since I left my home (1^st May 09). But, cause of S, I never feel alone in this city even when I’m living alone here. S told me to call S whenever and whatever it is about and it was S’s word which S always stood by. I don’t miss here in Bangalore because S is the first person I talk to whenever I’m alone.

Jai And Veeru

S is my “Morale Booster”. I gave S the nick name “morale booster” a couple of months ago. It was, again, one those “not my best” days coupled with lonely night in Bangalore. I called up S as usual and we had which I described THE best conversation, though I don’t remember all of our conversations but this one is definitely going to be with me for a long time. I was low because of all the happy news I was hearing about my friends like someone getting promoted, another getting married, one becoming a father and then someone buying a home. That day S told me, “When you are aiming for success, it’s the direction which matters not the pace”. This raised my confidence to the highest level for next 3 days before my fickle nature again brought it down. I don’t know how S does it, but it seems pretty easy for S to induce confidence in me, though, S is still working on making it last longer.

I know S isn’t an extraordinary person. You don’t have to be to touch someone’s life. Friendship is a beautiful relationship. Your friends are reflections of how good are you at decision making. Yea, it’s filmy to say but you choose your friends and being friend with S is one decision which proves that I don’t suck at decision making. I’ll also take it as a reference of my decision making skill.

I still don’t know what’s a definition of a best friend? But, for time being, I think I’ll leave it off at “S”.



To read posts by other members of the Wordsworth Legion in the Super Final Round, see here: Shilpa, Smitha, Lazy Pineapple, Tavish, Kshitij, Rahul and Pujitha.