ASMITA MANANDHAR
I have to admit that living in my cousin’s place since the past month has given me endless thoughts to ponder in my notebook. I have been realizing that it had been a while since I have actually lived here, the place that is fondly attached to my childhood memories. [break]
Now that my cousin, who I not only share my memories but a piece of life with, is not here and I own her room, her things, I miss her the most.
I am writing this piece sitting on her cozy bed, now that I have outgrown and have to bend my knees to fit while sleeping. I look around at her cupboard and I see two kids smiling at me, them being me and her.
When you look closely at the picture, you will realize that these two kids are very different; one standing straight and the other bending her hips and smiling at the photographer. We were never the same, not even similar kind, but surprisingly, we maintained to squeeze our differences between us.
There had been a time when our differences had taken a toll on our relationship. When we were in our teens, we had utterly different choices. But what we had in common was our stubbornness. She had bright pink hair, and wore heels even for casual time out. I stuck to my baggy pants and loose t-shirts.
And then it was when we were shopping together, we had painfully realized that the childhood sweetness could no more hold us into one stream. I still remember, when we got home from that disappointing shopping, we had made a deal: no more shopping together, which meant no more hanging out together, either.
But now when we are in our twenties, we have reconciled. We have different lives now; different choices, but we have certainly found a middle path. Surprisingly, after all these years, we have come to like each other’s choices and knock our heads together when we go shopping.
The truth is, no matter how different we are, we are still each other’s secret keeper, if not the best of friends.
And one fine day, while I was going over family pictures in my mama’s laptop, I came across this picture of ours. It was taken on a sunny winter afternoon one year back. Our hands on each other’s shoulders, smiling, both of us were without makeup. The anonymous photographer had captured only “us” – and it was beautiful.
Without her pink hair or artificial lenses; I without my kajal or earrings, the picture was as crude as our relationship, and as natural as it could be. There, I could see a glimpse of our childhood.
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Postcard from abroad
NISTHA RAYAMAJHI
As I went home the other day, tired from a hectic schedule with so many thoughts roving in my head, I was instantly delighted when my mother showed me something.
To my surprise, it was a postcard from abroad. I was more than happy as I have hardly got any postcard in my life. It was from a friend who lives in the States, and though I remember her saying that she would someday send a postcard to me, I never thought that she would be serious about it. She even intends to send me postcards from all the places which she gets to visit only if I agree to do the same.
We’re living in an age where the Internet has made things easier. Staying in touch with people is just a click away. Moreover, with the Facebook thing, it’s been easier to catch up with your friends than ever before.
It wasn’t long ago that life was so much different. I still remember talking for hours with my school buddies on the landline phone as we didn’t even have the luxury to own cell phones then. Only businessmen or extremely busy people used to carry such phones, and of course, we didn’t fall in that category. There was nothing like texting, and if we planned to meet friends, we would be waiting right on the spot: And no texting, or calling, for that matter. Life was much simpler in that case.
Nevertheless, in this always-connected world, there are ample options to catch up with your friends. One of my friends even showed me the new apartment that she has recently rented abroad through a video call, and it felt as if I was there myself.
Sharing pictures and videos of important occasions is also a usual affair amongst friends. Also viewing pictures makes it easier to know what your friends are up to.
With the facility of phone applications to easily call or text anywhere in the world, it has just changed the whole concept of how you connect with your friends.
All in all, it always makes you happy when you receive a long email from your close friends. But nothing beats the joy that you get when you receive a handwritten postcard from abroad.
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