AN UNFORGETTABLE MOMENT.....

This incident dates back to a time when coins were more dear than notes, when broken toys were more concerning than broken hearts and not being able to play with friends was the worst punishment. Me and my friend Ila were chaddi buddies, literally inseparable and thought we would remain that way forever . At the age of seven, days don’t exist beyond tomorrow. Ila had not been coming to school for some days and I was missing her terribly. She had not appeared for her exams too . I would go to visit her every evening and we would watch television together or play with our dolls . We had plans of getting my rag doll boy married to her pretty Barbie . She no longer fought with me, she was diagnosed with cancer and was busy fighting it. Even to my innocent eyes ,  Ila seemed tired and weak. It was diwali time and we had a month long vacation and my cousins were due from Mumbai bringing gifts like  the latest gadgets and clothes. My cousins came and with them came my new walk-man. I promptly ran to Ila's house to show her my new  treasure. Ila was very fond of music. After weeks I saw a smile on her face.  She was very excited about the walk-man. Dolls were  discarded and evenings were spent Listening to nursery rhymes and songs with our heads put together sharing the headphones. And when it was time to return home , Ila would reluctantly let me go, only after I would promise her of returning with the walk-man, the next day….. One day later,  on returning from school I found an ambulance, parked in front of her house . My mother informed me that Ila was serious and was being shifted to a hospital . She looked small and frail on the stretcher, very unlike the bubbly girl I knew all along. Just then I remembered something and ran back inside my house, grabbed my most prized possession and ran back to her. I put the headphones on her ears and saw a faint smile on her pale face. She opened her eyes, smiled and said “friends forever”! The van drove off as I waved my last goodbye to two of my treasured possessions.