Cherishing Friendship Amid Busy Lives.

Fortunately, all of us, including my friends and me, are involved in different jobs, whether in the private sector or government sector. Thankfully, we are all working for our livelihood and supporting our families. My friends have been posted in different places. One of my friends, who works in the telecom industry, has been posted in the northern part of the valley, while another friend, who works in an insurance company, has been posted in Jammu, quite far away, nearly 300 km from here. Some other friends are also working in different departments and private sectors and are posted in different regions. This has actually made our get-togethers quite rare. Sometimes we meet often during holidays, while at other times we wait for months just to spend a few moments together.

A few days ago, my friend who works in Jammu in an insurance company was home on a long holiday, and my other friend who works in the telecom company was also back home. That is what made our outing possible. As soon as we realized that all three of us were at home together, we decided to go out and enjoy some time together. Whenever we plan such outings, we usually prepare some snacks, which actually make these moments memorable, and that is exactly what we did this time as well.

I was quick to respond to their call and could not deny their proposal. Despite my mother assigning me some work for the day, I decided to join my friends this time. I made almost all the arrangements, including carrying the vessels needed to prepare the snacks, while one of my friends brought a small portable gas stove that could easily be carried even to distant places. My friends waited for me outside the gate, and as soon as they called me, I left to join them.

It was now time to begin our journey towards one of the nearby forest areas. While driving towards the place, we could not find a spot that offered enough solitude and serenity, and that is why we kept driving until we reached the top of a hill where only a few residential houses were located. Just below that spot, we finally settled.

We prepared the chicken we had bought from a shop in our village. It had already been cleaned and processed, and now it only needed to be fried and enjoyed later. But more than the food, the time we spent together was truly precious. We laughed, cracked jokes, recalled old memories, and revisited the fun moments we had shared in the past. It felt wonderful to be there with my friends in such a peaceful environment, so calm, cool, breezy, and surrounded by greenery. The entire atmosphere had a different kind of serenity in store for us.

One of our friends was especially fond of cooking and preparing snacks, and he hardly let us do much work. He prepared the fried chicken pieces patiently and meticulously. As soon as the snacks were ready, we did not wait any longer and enjoyed them while they were still hot. We continued sitting there, sharing moments, conversations, and even our worries.

Later, after capturing the beauty of the area through photographs, we packed our belongings and decided to leave. While driving back home, we intentionally drove slowly so that it would take us more time to reach home and allow us to spend a little longer together.

Back when we did not have jobs, we had enough time to meet and spend time together. But now, as all of us are occupied with work and responsibilities, it has become difficult to escape from our duties and spend time with one another. That is why whenever we get such an opportunity, we grab it with both hands. We hardly ever refuse such invitations.

One special thing about our friendship is that we never hide things from one another. Whatever is in our minds, we speak openly without worrying about how the other person may react. That honesty is what keeps our friendship strong and makes our bond grow stronger with time. There are no regrets or misunderstandings between us because everything remains clear among us.

While we were out, we also planned our next outing, which will include a long drive towards Pahalgam after Eid. As we are going to enjoy holidays during the last week of this month, we decided that we would visit Pahalgam during the same period. It is truly one of the most beautiful tourist destinations in our valley.

I believe our bond will always remain strong and will continue to grow even stronger with time, because we genuinely enjoy each other’s presence in our lives.