The deep-cut mark above your left eyebrow is his ‘gift’.
The forever red marks in three subjects in your report card in because you were too busy whispering answers to him than writing your own paper.
He is your collage of memories – kite-flying sessions, stolen pickles, first love letter, Kishore Kumar….
She is the one who taught you how to etch names on the bench with a compass. Your first ‘mohawk’ was her ‘design’ – the one which invited more laughter than appreciation!
She is the reason you stopped having eggs – just because she was allergic to it!
Her yellow saree look during Saraswati Puja made you almost fall in love with her – only to remember that her buddy-punches were enough to knock you off your senses!
This Friendship Day, rekindle that fire of warmth and make magic happen!
Relive the moments of pure camaraderie. Let the fragrance of friendship mesmerize you. Here are some ways you can think of reliving the day:
‘Bondhu Chol’ - Buddy’s Day Out
Buddyhood deserves a day solely for them. Recreate the magic of the old world bong charm.
But let it be an unplanned day out.
Go for a long drive, accompanied by songs that are a part of your friendship journey. When we begin our journey of friendship, we hardly know where we would reach our destination. So, it is best to go for an unplanned ride.
Get down at unknown shanties and order a shared meal.
If you find a place where you can have a stopover, just laze around – catching up on each other’s lives, sharing things that you have been intending to share for a long time….or simply drive on in total silence – just soaking in the silent warmth of friendship.
Wind up the evening together at a small, obscure pub. Or else, if available, relive your buddyhood moments eating Phoochkas with each other – with a full-on competition!
No, don’t plan for a movie, for God’s sake, or even visit an expensive restaurant. That would take away the chance to be loud, noisy and boisterous.
And yes, do give them gifts that they would remember and cherish for a long time – buddy T-shirts for her and T-shirts for him that would symbolize the friendship treasured moments.
Add a final touch with a ‘T-shirtwala buddyfie’ that you all would treasure forever.
Addabaaji - The Talkathon Evening
No word is perhaps as synonymous with friendship as ‘addabaaji’ – the purest form buddy talk – that borders nonsensical and unlimited fun.
Shun the formal set-up.
Think of a terrace or balcony instead.
Food?
Get down to basics. Go the bong way.
Think of Muri-Chop (Puffed rice and fritters) with a dash of mustard oil. Let the words flow uninterrupted. From childhood mischief stories to para football to ‘bhooter golpo’(ghost stories) – let words weave their own magic.
And to make matters more magical, arrange for tea in ‘bhaar’ (clay cups). Let the vapor emanating from the steamy cups, mask that silver glitter of tear that may once in a while nestle at the corner of your eyes.
Buy t-shirts with Bengali sayings or with styles that express the essence of friendship in Bengali Culture and then pose for cheese or rather ‘Chai’ moment in front of the camera. And they have a night to spare, spend it on the terrace – under the star-lit night sky – letting the breeze and "bondhutto" (friendship) flow unhindered – touching the innermost chord of the heart.
Jomjomaat Hullorbaaji - The Boisterous Picnic
If ‘being boistrous’ had been your style always then this is the best idea for you all. If you have a car, don’t use it.
Rather ask your friend for his.
And if you don’t, hire one.
Then ‘decorate’ the car in the ‘loudest’ way possible. Put garlands in multi-colors. Or put a paper flag in colorful hues. Arrange for colorful caps and T-shirts for him and her that are either naughty or quirky. Place a loudspeaker atop and let it play on songs on friendship. You can choose different songs on friendship like ‘Tere jaisa yaar kahan’ or the very popular 'Yeh Dosti hum nahi todenge' .
Drive off to the most fun picnic ever.
Don’t pre-plan too much. Rather let there be spontaneity.
Reach the venue and go ‘food hunting’ in the local area or rustle up a meal with too-many-cooks-spoil-the-broth way!
Focus on the fun, rather than the food.
Set the music loud and dance together to your heart’s delight. Let laughter over-brim your heart. Let the loudest banter dim every thought that comes to your mind. Make memories that would last a lifetime.
Here-I-Come Surprise
It is possible that your friend or friends may have migrated to some other city or town. You have been contemplating a visit to her for a long time.
She has been thinking and promising a ‘meet-you-soon’ for long.
But somehow things do not work out.
And friendship day is the best time to make it happen. Know her plans as a part of your regular conversation without giving her an inkling that you might drop in.
Then if you are sure that she would be in station gift her that moment of surprise that would evoke the loudest shriek, yell, maniac laughter and tears unlimited.
And when she is quite settled down hand over a hamper that she would love – memorabilia from childhood, the sweets she always loved, the book she has been wanting to own, a T-shirt for her with the friendship message and a photo-frame of both of you together. Of-course, to her, YOU would be the biggest gift ever – the most precious one.
These are only little ideas that may work.
However, it is not about organizing anything expensive, it is about the feeling of remembering and being remembered.
So, if your friend stays too far away, which would be difficult for you to reach to, do something to him or her know about the special place in your heart that they occupy.
Send a card with a handwritten note just to let them know that beyond the rainbows if there is a little town where pure and unadulterated feelings are the only rules to be followed – that town is called Friendship and you are it’s residents.
Make this Friendship Day worth every emotion you have!
