"If only I could find such a wonderful friend in reality, then life would be amazing."
Samriddh took a deep sigh as he closed me and put me in his bag. He thought to himself,
"I'll go to the library today and get this book renewed."
Before you are bewildered, let me introduce myself to you. I am a book and my name is "Unbreakable Friendship".
My author created me twenty years ago and now maybe he has gone straight to the afterlife. At the time of writing, even he wouldn't have known that his composition, that is me, will be so well received and reach new heights of fame. As a matter of fact I'm a paperback with merely one hundred and fifty pages. Moreover, I have been written in the form of a story, a tale of two friends. From birth to death. The ups and downs of their lives, misunderstandings, quarrels and unbreakable friendship.
I'm extremely proud of myself, why? Listen to this. I'm a vagabond. I live less in my house and most of the time, you'll find me residing somewhere else. My home, that is the shelf in our library. Barely someone keeps me in my place, there's another waiting to grab me. They never let me sit peacefully in my house. On the contrary I hear them passing cheerful remarks amongst each other.
"Hey, it's a great book. I've read it twice. You'll enjoy it too."
Then do you think the other person will put me down?
Every time I'm taken out of the library, I've literally come in contact with a variety of different types of people. Some treat really well, reading with love and care. They actually look after me. Although there are other negligent specimens too who are least bothered. I'd be lying here and there in their bedroom, or my pages would be folded to doggy ears and some have even used me like a notepad while talking on the phone. Can you believe it? Hoof! And let me tell you plenty of them have also made a xerox copy of me and kept it for themselves.
I have passed through innumerable hands and the owner of the library had to get my binding done more than once. Nonetheless, I am immensely satisfied and happy about one thing. Not only have people read me, howbeit I was able to transform many lives as well. Of which, there are two episodes that I will never forget.
After reading me a girl stopped herself from committing suicide. She embraced her friend and said,
"Thank you for this book. It gave me a new life."
On another occasion, whilst he completed me, a young lad called up his friend with whom he wasn't on talking terms for a long time. He said into the phone,
"Hey buddy! What's up? Come on man let's forget the past and make a fresh start. What say?"
I've spent many years in this library, how many? I've truly lost the count. Other books in the library, that is my friends miss me so much and often make fun of me in sarcasm,
"Yeah yeah, you've become very important homie. We'll have to take an appointment to talk to you."
There is a feeling in my subconscious mind that my time has come to an end. Now my condition is so tattered that binding is also not possible. In a few day's time, you'll probably find me in a scrapman's gunny sack.
Shamim Merchant
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