A bond that grows each day and beyond

Be it devouring a meal on a common plate or sharing the best kept secrets or lending a shoulder to lean on or stealing a few quiet moments to spend with each other, friends make us feel special in more ways than one.

On Friendship Day, celebrated on the first Sunday of August, people from different walks of life share what friendship means to them and how staying connected with one another turned out to be an integral part of their daily life.

Meeting often

After a considerable amount of time spent ‘WhatsApping’ pleasantries and sharing emotional friendship quotes, many planned to meet their dear ones even if it means devoting a few minutes of time. “Last evening, a few of my childhood buddies came to meet me from Rajamahendravaram before heading to Araku. No matter however busy we stay in our lives, we continue to meet quite often and connect through ‘cheddi-buddies’ WhatsApp group,” says M. Trinadh, one of the partners of Vijaya Medical Centre. He says that true friendship can only be experienced and cannot be expressed through words.

Today, the ‘cheddi-buddies’ group connects more than 50 like-minded persons who grew up together studying from Classe III to XII in Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Convent and Government High School for Boys (Training College) in Rajamahendravaram. “Though we lost touch for about 10-15 years after our graduation as many moved to Mumbai, Visakhapatnam and Hyderabad, a few of us met again in a wedding reception. We tried to track the contact details of the rest and that’s how the group came into existence,” narrates P.S.S.V. Ratna Rao, a businessman based in Rajamahendravaram. The buddies meet in a commonplace every year to reminisce the special moments spent together.

Though some may not be able to meet frequently, the emotional bonding remains irreplaceable. Pulmonary and critical care specialist Kavita Pattipati says that her MBBS classmate continues to be her best buddy. “The best part about our friendship is that I can be myself with Saritha, a paediatrician settled in the US, without being judged. We also share similar ideas, values and can relate to each other’s struggles quite well,” she says. While some headed to restaurants, bakeries and cafes to pamper their best friends, a few celebrated the day on the beach road, playing games, clicking selfies and enjoying each other’s company.

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