Friendship, a boon to life
“A friend gives hope when life is
low, a friend is a place when you have nowhere to go, a friend is a mirror, and
you can see yourself just by looking at him.” –the thought reverberated in his
mind, he read it somewhere.
It was during monsoon in Mumbai.
Though he had come from Hyderabad in the month of May when you could feel the
fierce sun spread its might every nook and corner of this metropolitan city. During
monsoon, contrast scenario can be witnessed. Mother Nature soothes all her
elements with her gentle shower and spreads green carpets all over.
“Rohan”, he heard the voice from the
threshold of his room. He was sitting at the study table putting his back
towards the door. He looked back and saw his mother holding a plate of snacks
for him.
“Yes, mother” he stood up to take
the plate from her hand.
Archana, his mother, came forward, “I wanted to
know something from you, Rohan.” She continued, “After you recovered from your
illness, I could see some changes in you. Always you are lost in your own world
and you don’t have any interest to attend the school. May I know why it is so?”
Archana looked at her son anxiously.
Eventually, Rohan shared everything
with his mother. He
was completely dejected, lost his enthusiasm to speak. But somehow his mother
could make out his each and every word. It happened like this, as he had to cover many topics done during his absenteeism, he
asked for the help of his peers. But his friends were not willing to help him at
all. He requested everyone but in vain. Gradually, he started feeling lonely in
the class. He was repenting on his haughty temperament towards his friends. He
had understood the importance of ‘Friendship’ when he was in need. He
understood that friendship is a relationship of mutual affections between
people. Friendship is the strongest interpersonal bond that needs trust, love, care,
empathy, forgiveness and mutual understanding to flourish. He was lucky to have
many caring and loving friends around but he didn't value them. He hoped to go
back in time and settle everything but that's not possible.
Archana told him while leaving his
room, “Request your class teacher, she will help you undoubtedly. Keep hope, everything will be smooth.”
Once again he was in his deep
thought.
Rohan took admission in the midterm of the session. He had shifted from another city so everything was new to him, but he
managed to adjust to the changes soon. He comes from a very well to do
family. Every day he used to take fancy stationery items as well as food items
to impress his peers. He was good in studies as well as in sports, so very soon
he became the popular face of the school. All these appreciations and limelight
turned him into a self-conceited boy. Soon it started reflecting in his behaviour.
He became rude and insensitive towards his classmates. He often insulted them. Though
his peers were not revolting visibly, they started distancing from him. But
Rohan paid no heed to the situation and continued harassing his friends in one
way or other.
Once because of his fever, he
was not able to attend his school for almost three weeks. When he went back to school, he realized
the transition that had already been taken place in him and in the class.
Then he was not going to think
further on this issue as he had a headache since afternoon, it was seven o’clock
in the evening when he went to bed with a storybook. He tried to divert his
mind, his mother was right; he would approach his class teacher the next day.
At that moment, the only ray of hope for him to
get out of this situation was his teacher. So he gathered all his courage the
next day and went to his teacher and narrated the entire incidents. He did not
forget to apologize for his misbehaviour.
The following day, the teacher
decided to have a group discussion on how positive thinking and forgiveness
would give us new hope in life. Through the ideas generated by the students
themselves, the teacher made them understand the agony of Rohan and the mistake
they were going to do. Finally, the entire class understood the power of
kindness and forgiveness and also the need for a good friend in their life. They
all promised the teacher that they would be the light of hope for each other
and would take care of each other.
Friends are those who will pick you up when no one even noticed you have fallen.
Harmony @ Billabong High International School, Thane
- Abira Chakraborty, Pooja Khona, Bhumika
Ailsinghani, Rajshri Rane, Soniya Kuril, Poonam
Choudhary, Kavita Shetty