Abiding friendship

Friends to play with, study with, spend leisure time with, go to places with, discuss anything ...

In Thirukkural 789, Thiruvalluvar says, “Friendship may be said to be on its throne when it possesses the power of supporting one at all times and under all circumstances.”

I am sure every one of you would have undergone beautiful experiences of friendship in every stage of your life. Friends to play with, study with, spend leisure time with, go to places with, discuss anything and everything with, strategise and execute business plans and be successful with and console failure with — we need friends in every stage of our life.

I did enjoy great friendships right from my schooldays and practised nurturing such relationships with my superiors, peers, subordinates and customers to the best of my ability in my long professional career too.

On the last day of college in Madurai, having written the last exam, I was relaxed and supposed to board the train to Chennai the day after to search for a job. It was a different era with job opportunities limited. While I was thinking about all avenues, possibilities and things to do after reaching Chennai, my friend came to meet me surprisingly in a brand new Lambretta scooter.

In the 1970s, India had just a few brands of two-wheelers and cars. The general feeling was that the blessed are the ones who own, ride or even travel as pillion riders on a scooter. I was so thrilled to travel as a pillion rider that I requested my friend to teach me to ride a scooter. Though it was a new scooter, he instantly agreed to teach me. In fact, I got tensed up about how I am going to learn without falling down or damaging the scooter or hitting anybody.

Believe me, I learnt riding within two days of a two-hour session with my friend. It’s because of his encouragement that I learnt it so fast. I was extremely thrilled that I am going to Chennai with a newly acquired skill.

It so happened that within a few days of my arrival in Chennai, my brother bought a new scooter and I became an expert rider from day one. My brother was happy with my new skill and encouraged me to go places solo or with him to help him in his business.