Ankita and I have been friends for close to a decade now, though
technically, we were colleagues for even longer. We worked at the same
organization, but I left within a year of her joining, so our interaction back
then was minimal. Even after I exited, Ankita stayed in touch. However, our
friendship truly blossomed during COVID—one phone call that changed everything.
I was deeply touched by Ankita’s selfless care
in such a self-centred world. I remember thinking, wow, I never knew Ankita was this kind of
person.
Ironically, after we became BFFs, we could barely meet. We were constantly hopping cities because of our jobs—until she eventually settled in Mumbai and I returned to Bengaluru. We always wanted to meet, but we never had the luxury of landing in each other’s cities just for a catch-up. Still, we stayed closely connected. Ankita holds a special place in my life, a privilege known only to the two of us. She’s also my partner in crime for certain mischiefs.
One Friday afternoon, she called and casually asked about my Saturday plans. I said there was nothing too important. That’s when she dropped the bomb—she would be in Bengaluru on Saturday, just for a day, and wanted to meet me. I couldn’t believe it. My thoughts were interrupted by her voice asking, “Are you there?” I said yes, and she added that she’d confirm the time and location on Saturday since her schedule was jam-packed.
The moment the call ended, I cancelled all my
Saturday engagements and kept the entire day free. After she checked into her
hotel, Ankita called to say we’d meet post lunch. I asked her to inform me well
in advance, as it would take me over an hour to reach—she was staying in the
heart of the city, and I was at the other end. In the meantime, I wrapped up
all my household chores.
By 4:30 pm, she called again and suggested
meeting at MG Road by 6. I agreed, got ready by 5, and booked a cab
immediately. I expected traffic delays, but luck was on my side—I reached MG
Road right on time. I called Ankita to check if she’d arrived; she said she’d
need another 15 minutes. So I wandered around Church Street, taking a trip down
memory lane. The place was still buzzing with life.
About 20 minutes later, Ankita arrived.
Finally, we met—and I can’t describe how happy we were. She was accompanied by
her husband and kid, who had plans of their own. We stepped into Starbucks to
escape the chaos outside and spent time chatting. We had so much to catch up
on.
We were so engrossed in conversation that we
didn’t realize it was already 8 pm. Ankita’s husband called to check if she
needed more time, as he too was running late with work. He was also concerned
about whether I’d be comfortable staying longer, given my long commute back
home. Without even asking me, Ankita said, “He has no issues—take your time.”
That’s friendship, when you know the other person so well. We burst into
laughter.
By 9:30 pm, her husband had finished his work
and joined us at Starbucks. We were still talking, but it was time for them to
leave since they were traveling the next day. Then came the photo
session—because, surprisingly, we had no pictures of us together.
As we stepped out of the cafĂ©, we noticed something amusing—we were twinning in blue. Completely unplanned. The perfect icing on the cake. Ankita then reminded me that this had happened once before, back when we were colleagues.
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Soon, it was time to say goodbye. Even though
we didn’t get much time together, we enjoyed every moment. After she left for
her destination, I booked a cab back home, still trying to
Initially, Ankita had wanted to surprise me by calling out of the blue after
reaching Bengaluru. I’m glad she didn’t—because I had an important meeting that
day, which I later pushed to Monday. Somewhere, destiny was kind to us.
Sometimes, surprises really are more beautiful
than plans.
