P and I are very different when it comes to making friends. While P has tons of friends, I am somewhat selective in choosing my tribe. While this selective thought process worked for me in the first quarter of my life, the second quarter has somewhat changed my thinking. And, P has played a significant role in helping me see a different perspective in friendships. As a result, this Friendship Day week was spent with a bunch of friends, who came into my life through P but now seem much-like my own. And, this is a special Friendship Day celebration for those friends who now are like family.
When I think of how this past week went, all that comes to mind is a filmy dialogue. As Anni rightly said, “Sacche dost wahi hotey hain..jo ache waqt main aapki bajate hai..aur jab mushkil waqt aata hai toh wahi chhichhore aapke darwaze par khade nazar aate hai”, P and I found amazing bunch of people who made us their own in just a flash. So, this Friendship Day ode is for those beautiful friends who are now Prinkled’s fam!
Happy Friendship Day: Dosti, Kisse Aur Meethi Yaadein!
This week, our friend and Prinkled’s illustration artist, Ankita Gupta celebrated her birthday. The surprise was planned by another friend Akshaydeep Punj, who also happens to be the founder of Akki Studios and designer of our website. The week began and the invitation to the party came through. P and I, were co-conspirators in this surprise planned by Akshay. The date and venue were set and all that was left to do was ensure Ankita doesn’t find out.
Also Read: Happy Friendship Day: A Heartfelt Ode To My Girls
P and I were contemplating what to give Ankita, when a thought crossed my mind. I asked P, “Akshay may have invited all of his and Ankita’s friends and we won’t know any of them. Don’t you think it’ll be a bit awkward?” To this, P, who is the extrovert between us, said, “I have a feeling it won’t be and we’ll meet a great bunch of people. Just chill.” I shirked away that thought and finalised a gift pack for Ankita.
Source: PrinkledOn 2nd, all decked up to go, P and I looked in the mirror and felt like capturing our look for the night in a picture. Then, we headed out the door. While we were on the way, I couldn’t help but think ‘what if we feel out of place? What if it gets a bit boring after a while?’ With no option but to wait, I left that thought and decided to follow my life mantra, “Carpe Diem” for the night. To our surprise, we were the first ones to arrive, so we waited in the car, till Akshay’s sister and her friends arrived. Once they came, we joined them at the venue and it was time to face the music.
At first, the younger ones at the party took a moment to introduce themselves and once they did, P broke the ice and invited them to play a game of Pool with him. Meanwhile Akshay’s sister and I talked to each other about how late everyone was. An hour later, everyone started arriving and to my surprise, we knew one of Akshay and Ankita’s friends, Prem. When Prem and all others who joined us greeted P and I warmly, my worries began easing out.
Source: PrinkledWhat followed was our chitter-chatter about the birthday girl while we waited to surprise her on her arrival. When finally Ankita arrived, all of us yelled “Surprise” and left her completely stunned.
Speechless and awestruck, Ankita didn’t know how to react. She couldn’t fathom how her friends had planned this surprise for her. She smiled from ear to ear, and gave each of us a warm hug. The huge ‘Happy Birthday’ backdrop left her in awe and her smile was just priceless. She went on to click photos with each of us there and I couldn’t help but notice how happy she looked.
Source: PrinkledWe all then went on to play some music and enjoy delicious food and drinks with the birthday girl. While we all sat down to chill with Akshay, Ankita, their siblings and other friends, I wondered about the concerns I had about meeting a bunch of strangers at our friend’s party. Now, a lot of those were put to rest.
When it was time to cut the cake, we all sat down and began sharing our stories of how we came to know Ankita and Akshay. At that moment when each of Ankita’s friends poured their heart out, I was overwhelmed. At that point, the entire bunch of people present ensured we became a part of jokes and conversations. There wasn’t a bit of awkwardness and it was in that moment, I knew I had found a bunch of good friends, all thanks to the birthday girl and Akshay.
Source: PrinkledA realisation also hit me that most of our childhood, our parents tell us, “Don’t talk to strangers.” But then, if we don’t do that, how will we ever come about making friends? I know by “strangers” parents mean weird people who can be a threat to us as kids. But then, they never really specify that and some of us (like me) tend to consider it for all strangers. And, that makes many averse to the idea of meeting new people. Duh!
Anyway, everyone including Akshay, his sister, Ankita’s sister, Prem, P and other friends began sharing stories related to the birthday girl and the entire night was filled with smiles, nostalgia and joyful moments. While some knew her since childhood, others met her professionally and turned into lifelong friends. P also introduced me to Ankita and Akshay out of the blue, and from that point on, something clicked. A friendship began where each of us could speak our mind and share our thoughts freely.
Source: PrinkledThat night, we celebrated Ankita and her special birthday till the wee hours of the morning and I couldn’t help but feel relieved from all my inhibitions and embrace this beautiful bond of friendship with everyone.
The beauty of bond’s didn’t just end at sharing stories. Everyone who came stayed right till the end and helped Akshay and Ankita clean up before leaving the Airbnb. That made me realise how precious such friends are.
Now, no matter what happens post that night, I know that one can find friendship in the most unexpected, uncomfortable and uncharted places. The only thing needed is willingness to let people in, devoid of judgement. This Friendship Day, this is a lesson I’ll hold on to for life and I hope you too feel the same!
Here’s P and I wishing you all, Happiest Friendship Day, Prinkled Fam!
Loved reading this one !! Thanks for penning down an absolutely lovely post that brought backs memories of that birthday night !!
It was a special night indeed! Thank you for having us there!
Lovely post! I enjoyed every bit of it!
Thank you so much! 😀😀