Celebrating ties that bind

For some, the day might mean nothing, for others, it is an excuse to get together. But there also those who believe that it is just a marketing gimmick. Friendship Day, which falls on August 3, has different meanings for different people. Metrolife interacted with Bangaloreans about their special friends.

Rajeevalochana R and his gang of four have been friends for 32 years now. He and his friends, Varadaraju, Kiran, Prashanth and Venkat, have maintained their friendship by meeting every week at some place. They also hold a monthly house party and a yearly outing with all the five families.

“We all have the same taste and are very spiritual and adventurous. We love travelling and are lucky that our spouses are also very supportive,” says Rajeevalochana. Friendship Day doesn’t mean much to this group. “Everyday is friendship day for us. Else, we wouldn’t have been together for so many years,” says Rajeevalochana with a smile.

Distance doesn’t affect friendship and this has been proven many times. Fariya Mehreen, an MBA student from RV Institute of Management, says that though her best friend Akshitha Gowda is in Chikmagalur, they are constantly in touch.

“We knew each other from our PUC days but grew closer over the years. She used to visit me often at home and we would share our problems with each other. She has always cared for me. We celebrated each other’s festivals,” recollects Fariya. She plans to surprise Akshitha on the day and cut a cake with her.

For Sumith Kumar Mohan and his best friend Karthik, who stays in Delhi now, distance hasn’t made any difference. “Earlier, people had less friends but today, though the number has increased, we are not in touch with everyone. The mode of communication has increased though,” says Sumith.

He says that despite not having a Facebook account back then, he was always in touch with Karthik, a friend of 17 years. “We make regular phone calls and we meet around four to five times a year. We also keep ourselves updated about what’s happening in each other’s life. So that we are always there for each other,” he says.

One’s character is formed by the people around. Varsha PS, a faculty with Dayananda Sagar Institutions, says that ever since she met Pramila and Renu, her life has changed. “Friendship is a special bond, where one can share everything.
When I met with an accident, they both were always there to encourage and help me,” says Varsha.

She points out that she has learnt important lessons in life from her friends. “Pramila taught me to be patient in life. She is a kind and passionate person and always reminds me to be polite to everyone. And Renu taught me to be vigilant with different people and not let anyone take advantage of me,” says Varsha.

Making the right decision is always a Herculean task and that is when a true friend guides you, says Abhilash BM, a student of RNSIT. “Sharath stood by me when I had to take firm personal decisions and he has always understood me. He is the first person I call in times of any emergency,” says Abhilash. He adds that having a nice time with his friend is all that matters.

Though Friendship Day is a youth-related concept, even youngsters just consider it as just another day to meet up. “We have gone beyond friendship bands and will just meet, eat and make merry,” says Anagha N Bharadwaj, a youngster. She shares many pleasant memories with her friends, Bindiya and Ramya.

“More than Friendship Day, our birthdays matter a lot. Two of us will make it a point to give a gift to the third on her birthday and those are memorable gifts varying from hand-made albums to photo collages,” she sums up.