It was the first day of school. 8th grade was finally starting. I go to my bus stop and see a new kid there. We made small talk, but I’m pretty sure we were both dying for the bus to come so the conversation could be over. Nikhil was a 4th grader and his class was the one I always ended up being in charge of when the teachers had a meeting or something. I realised he was a pretty decent kid and the awkwardness had gone away. One weekend I was walking near my house, and I saw Nikhil standing on his balcony. I told him to come near my place if he was bored. That’s where it all started. I would have never thought how much that new kid at the bus stop would mean to me.
Over the next few months, I got so close to Nikhil that weekends and holidays usually meant meeting him. I could talk to him about anything. My friends didn’t understand how a 13 year old could be so close to a 9 year old. He never was like other kids his age. He was so much more mature. Sometimes I felt like he was more mature than I was. We’ve had our ups and downs, but we’d always forgive and forget. Even if we drift apart, when we meet it’s as if nothing ever happened. We always pick up from where we left off.
Nikhil is one person who never ceases to amaze me. His way of thinking is so much more complex than anyone I know. He knows when something’s wrong with me in a minute. He is a talented musician, he loves reading, he writes songs/poems that make my friends go “Bullshit he’s four years younger than us.”, he’s a talented writer. He’s been through a lot and sometimes I wish he didn’t grow up so fast, but I’m glad in a way because otherwise we wouldn’t be US. I know that makes me sound selfish, but for a friend like this, I am selfish.
I had to put up three posts by the end of the day, and after thinking for what seemed like forever, I realised I wanted to my first post to be about something that really mattered to me. So I tried to think of things that have mattered to me for the longest time, then I switched “things” to “people”. And I wanted to write about someone who’s been around for the longest. First I thought, MY DAD! But that would be a really really long post, and I wouldn’t know where to begin. So it had to be Nikhil. Friends lasting for more than 2 years is something I’m not quite used to, so the fact that Nikhil and I have been friends for about 7 years makes him a very important person in my life.
This is a picture of himself I’m sure he regrets sending to me. Look at how adorable he looks!
BULLETPROOF, NOTHING TO LOSE 