Remember when we were kids, we used to talk to every random person in our class and make them our friends based on choices that matched ours? Remember those good old days, when you made it very clear to your friend by saying “dosth” or “kachhi”? Where did all that time go?
I’ve always heard people say that friendships formed at the wrong time can ruin lives, and that one small misunderstanding can burn bonds held for years. Maybe growing up proves that saying right. Making friends at the age of 11 or 12 and holding onto them for life can surely be considered luck. But what about adult friendships? How do you connect with those rare few in your early twenties, seemingly out of nowhere, at a time when you didn’t even know you needed them? To all those people in my life, thank you. But this one is for the friendships that faded slowly, unknowingly, and without any intention of hurting anyone.
As kids, friendship was about who shared your candy or your favourite game. As adults, it’s about who shows up when life gets messy. And when you realise that the friend who saw you in tears is now just a memory, it hits hard—harder than an Elachi in biryani.
Some friendships disappear not with a fight, but quietly, like the last light of evening. One minute, you’re enjoying the silence on a beach; the next, you realise how alone you’ve been all along. Those unsaid goodbyes, those archived memories, those lost giggles—they all hit your heart and mind at once, like a sudden thunderstorm on a sunny day. That’s when you realise how important and difficult it was to make the decisions that led you here.
It was never a mistake. It has never been about forgiveness. It has always been about timing and destiny. Maybe, if things had gone the other way, they would have remained the same close friend—but it’s okay to let go of that beautiful memory. If you hadn’t let go, perhaps it wouldn’t have stayed beautiful. Every friendship, whether fleeting or lifelong, leaves a trace. It’s also about carrying the warmth of those memories forward, letting them quietly shape who you are, and finding gratitude in having experienced that connection, however brief or long it may have been.
The most painful goodbyes are not just the ones whispered in silence, but also those spoken aloud when you realise the friendship has become toxic. Those unsaid goodbyes, though they hurt, are meant to preserve a few memories as fresh and beautiful as possible—for a lifetime. They remind us that love, laughter, and even the quiet sadness of letting go are all part of the journey, and that every friendship, whether near or far, leaves a mark on the heart that time can never erase.
Together we lived,
together we smiled,
all of that now
fades into miles.
Nostalgia—
or just déjà vu?
How has it been
since those empty tea cups
stopped listening to our gossip?
Even in the silence,
there’s a warmth that lingers,
carrying bits and pieces
of the time we had.
What was lost
can never be found,
yet it can be cherished,
when the moment comes.