The best thing a Friend has ever done for you...

I came across this question while watching one interview, and from that moment this question is haunting me. Of course, a simple question, but how many of us have actually thought about it ? Don’t we always take things for granted? It would never occur to us that few people or few things which we fail to show gratitude are also our blessings. Maybe these lockdown days are the  perfect time to think about our luxuries; because otherwise we would have never realized that even stepping outside our own home is also something which we should be grateful for.

 

So, coming back to the question, “The best thing a friend has ever done for me? “

 

I am not someone who has a lot of friends, I just have very few close ones, that’s it. All of them are really supportive and helpful. I am glad to have those amazing people in my life. Even though there are many good deeds which each and every one of them has done for me, the person or the friend who has done the most meaningful or selfless deed was not among my close friends circle, that is also one of the reasons why that is so special. Because I was not even her close friend, I was just a friend of hers or an acquaintance may be.

 

The story is, around 5 years back, I got a deputation to Germany for a period of 3 months. And I accepted that offer without thinking much as I always do. Only thing which I was a bit worried was traveling alone that far for the first time. So, I asked people about the immigration process etc. and became pretty confident with all those stuff.

The journey went smooth. I reached Frankfurt, and from there I was traveling to my apartment in Stuttgart via train, and I was sitting on a window seat. I saw rows and rows of Wheat fields, those beautiful country side landscape which you watch in movies, suddenly I felt some weird feeling inside me. Everything went blurred; my heart started beating faster. That was a moment of realization, that I am in this foreign land, all alone by myself. I tried to accept the reality somehow, and I reached my apartment finally. I would say that luck was also not on my side because I was allotted an apartment which actually looked like a Ghost house ( I swear there are other people who have the same opinion) and on top of that I got a studio apartment room, where the curtains opened to something kind of a basement, a fully dark area. Not even a single ray of sun could reach inside that room.

So, I entered this mysterious room in that foreign land, all alone, and it was near dusk already. I just wished in vain that all those were just a nightmare. But no, that was very much real indeed and I needed to face it.

 

The thing which made all that worse was, I am scared to sleep alone!!!

Yes, you heard that right. I have hardly slept alone in my life. I know!!! How is that possible right? It’s hard for people to believe, but trust me, it’s really a frightening task for few people like me.  

 

In the midst of that horrible reality,I felt a bit relieved when I thought of this girl, who was also in the same city by chance.She was my ray of hope. The very next day, I met her at office, and I told her about  my condition and first of all she didn’t judge me. She offered me to stay at her place, which was also a studio apartment, designed only for a single person to stay. And also, she tried her best to make myself accustomed in my apartment. She came with me and stayed in my Ghost house, and tried to change that place into a livable area. But again, next day evening I would go towards her cubicle and would make a pleading face, which was enough for her to understand what I needed. With a warm smile she always let me to stay at her place again, for that day and for the many days that followed.

Not only that, she was my companion for each and every thing over there, for shopping, visiting places, making friends, sharing thoughts, chit-chatting, etc. Even though there were other wonderful people who had supported me over there, what she had done for me, that was exceptional. There were days when she came directly from office and stayed at my apartment without even having a spare cloth in hand, simply because I couldn’t sleep alone and she even wore my cloth to work the next day. Who will do all these ?

 

I know, I was being very silly and childish. But if she was not there, and if she was not that comforting and understanding, I can’t imagine what I would have done.  

 

So, the best thing a friend has ever done for me, is definitely what she has done for me. The kindness, empathy and selflessness which she had shown to me. I am so thankful to her for being there for me. I would like to dedicate this write up to her as my gratitude, which we often hesitate to share in person.

I wish, one day I can also be such a friend to someone. Like light in the darkness.

 

Thank you, my dear friend, 

                                 The Confused Mama