A friend like V

V is one of those friends you have away from your general friends group. Weirdly close in sharing the feels and distant in every other way. I don’t know if everyone has such a friend. But those who do will get what I mean.

In the 16-odd years of our friendship, last week we took our first trip together. And like I've said before that’s what best friend shit is like. Coming out of this 2-day trip, gratefulness leads my way. It feels transient and annoying to have a friend like V. Here’s what I mean -

Just like all my other weak-ass friends, puking on the bus was how we started the show. In our kickass room with a view, between bouts of laughter and good food, a mental breakdown sneaked its way. We enjoyed the green, went for walks, slept like a log, and woke up with a better perspective on life.

Next, and this is my favourite part — I shared my routine with her. And she came along without any qualms. I think early risers bond a certain way. We drank our hot bevs, hit the green and meditated. After which we took a long walk in the forests with the guard dog, Duggu. This walk was spiritual to me, the animal, the friend, the Sun. I speak for all of us.

Tragedy struck soon after the check-out. V lost her bag. And the rest of the trip was a mission tailored around finding it. We made quick decisions, got scolded by a vendor, got scared and mocked by a monkey, found the bag with major help from a pretty girl, and hauled a suitcase up a hill.

That’s how it feels to have a friend like V. Transient and annoying.