When I arrived at Uni, I was 19.
I was socially-awkward, reserved, I did not want to talk to anyone.
I just wanted to focus on studying, doing my best, rushing back home to be with my baby boy.
I tried to muffle the guilt every second I spent outside of my house- that, was taking up all of my energies.
The last thing I cared about was meeting people.
I didn't care about people, I did not trust anyone.
People were bad- superficial fools, at best.
Or so I thought.
The first day of lessons, I sat at a random desk, with the intention of avoiding contact with other students as much as possible.
But then, a girl sat next to me, with a cheerful smile, that I found immediately repulsive.
- Hi!
She said to me.
- I'm Jasmine. Who are you?
I think I stared at her without answering, at first.
But alas, she kept sitting next to me every day, until the end of the year.
During the following months, I came to learn a lot of things about Jasmine.
She had great parents, but they went through difficult experiences of their own.
They were immigrants, and she had to face some tough economic circumstances, and discrimination.
Her family was working so hard, to allow her to go to University.
She was a very down to earth, very intelligent person.
Very dedicated to her studies- shared a deep passion for medicine, just as I did.
She liked to write and read, as I did.
I started to find her... somehow less irritating.
Slowly, I started telling her a little bit about my life, as well.
It was something she had never experienced, and I don't think she fully understood.
But she listened.
Jasmine became my first friend at Uni. Helped me through these tough first months, were the guilt of leaving my home was crushing me.
I guess things would have gone differently, if she hadn't sat next to me, that day.
Life is really weird, I guess: sometimes it takes away so much, sometimes it gives.
...
Right now, I've just come back home from having celebrated Jasmine's 32nd birthday.
We've known each other for 13 years.
Up do this day, she still is my best friend.
आप पढ़ रहे हैं
Let's hope for the best
कथेतर साहित्य... but prepare for the worst. When I was a kid, I thought that life was going to be like a Disney movie. Then, alas, life happened. And I found out, I was not ready for it.
