Deep Ties

  eBay “Friendship is like blue china, costly and rare. Once broken, can be mended, but the crack is always there.” Sunita remembered the lines that had been written by her best friend, Shikha, in her autograph book. Those were the days when students went around getting autographs from their teachers and friends, and waited with anticipation to see what they would write. Sunita’s autograph book was covered with colourful messages, often running to four pages at a time. She had always been a popular girl and she had made many good friends, both in class and outside. However, her best friend had always been Shikha, right from kindergarten onwards. Shikha, the petite girl who had crept into class, petrified of facing a crowd of children who stared at her. “Come in, Shikha,” the teacher had called out, welcoming her in. “Class, this is your new classmate, Shikha. She has come from Kolkata. Her father has been transferred to Bangalore.” There was a place vacant next to Sunita an