From Friends to Strangers

From Friends to Strangers 

As John Green once wrote in his novel ‘Paper Towns’ “Margo always loved mysteries. And in everything that came afterward, I could never stop thinking that maybe she loved mysteries so much that she became one.” This was one of her favourite quotes, and she lived by that. This story is about that “she” you’re probably wondering about, so keep reading. 

In 2015, I met this stranger at a school fair, her eyes big and black, her hair long and straight. She was clad in blue denim shorts, a skin-fit white Nike tee, sports shoes, and a hairband completing her casual look. I, on the other hand, looked ridiculous with two pigtails, jeans, and an oversized white tee. I have such a vivid memory of that day I can swear I gave homeless vibes. We were complete opposites. Her outfits were mostly in black, whereas mine were bright and colourful. If she was athletic, lazy was my middle name. While her singing could heal, my singing could kill. The few things we did have in common were our eating habits which meant we could eat anything edible that we saw in front of us and our flirting skills which started and ended with “Do you like bread?”. This psychologist, Robert Francis had this theory stating, “opposites attract”. He explained how a great duo is when one personality complements the other one. Maybe this is why we were best friends. Because we complemented each other. 

Moving ahead to 2018, she became the person I trusted the most. I would tell her all my secrets, she knew all my crushes, she even knew I had a crush on someone even before I did. She could tell when I lied and knew exactly how to make me laugh when I'm sobbing due to the everyday drama in my life. We would dance like psychos, sing at full volume till our lungs gave out, dress each other up, conduct 2 AM photoshoots, binge watch our favourite genre movies, and sleep cuddled up. I enjoyed her company more than anything else on this planet. She was the highlight of my lowlife. I loved her more than biryani and sushi. And that right there is a lot of love. 

At the beginning of 2019, I saw her once again. Her hair was longer than the first day I saw her. Nothing except for that had changed. She still had those twinkling big black eyes, and a laugh so beautiful, it could stop time. I will always remember the tiniest of details about her. Like how her eyes disappear whenever she smiles, and how she’ll look up into the sky hoping the tears fall right back into her eyes when they threaten to slide down her cheek, how she’ll scrunch her nose when deciding what to wear, how she’ll hold her head in her hands when studying her least favourite subject and how she smelled sweet like honey with a ting of her shampoo, and a scentful flower, probably lavender. One day I saw her walking towards me, and I raced to hug her. I hugged her so tight knowing no one knows what the future has in store for us. Maybe because somewhere down the line, or in my gut, I knew something would happen, something bad, something good. During the end of 2019, our everyday conversations turned into weekly hi hello’s, video calls changed into once in a while text. Our dancing lost its movements just like our singing lost its voice. Soon, both of us found comfort in other people. Our sushi and biryani were replaced by other meals. Time passed and what once were moments lived in the present, little by little became bittersweet memories. I could slowly see that our galivanting’s were coming to an end and we were growing apart. 

In the year 2020, the world saw a virus. Little did they know that it would create a pandemic globally. Parallelly my own little world was devastated by a virus deadlier than the global one. The virus of dishonesty, jealousy, lying, backbiting, hiding, and that of distrust. These viruses crept inside in such a way, directly causing a cardiac arrest to our friendship. My world came crashing down to pieces because of our stupid misunderstanding, because of the silly mistakes, maybe even because of our wounded egos. No matter how much I tried to pick those fallen pieces and stick them together it would always have those tapes around it reminding us that it had once been broken. Funny how when we meet someone, they become a huge part of our life, and then one day because of an occurrence of a mishap, they’re gone. Just like that. Maybe they don't want to, but they're still gone. You can't change that fact. John Green once also said, “If people were rain, I was drizzle and she was hurricane.” She was the hurricane of my life. She came and turned my whole life upside down for the better. And like how all hurricanes disappear, and so did she. 

Fast forward to 2021, we don't talk anymore, not like we used to. The person who knew everything about me and my life doesn't know anything about it anymore. Before, if someone had told me that this person would no longer be there in my life, I would have laughed my heart out. I am still laughing, only this time at the irony. I am forever grateful for the day that I bumped into her in 2015, even though I wish she stayed longer in my life than she did. We had the time of our lives getting to know each other and I don't regret any decision I made with her, for her. Not even for a second. She turned exactly into what John Green’s quote had stated. A mystery. She became a mystery. Who knew life would take this mysterious twist where two best friends turn into complete strangers.