‘What is the one best thing to gift your friend on friendship’s day?’

This was a question I was ruminating about for the past few days. Friendship’s day was getting closer and I had no clue to what I would get for Rachel. Wondering who ‘Rachel’ is? Well, the one who believes that I am possessed. Rachel Franco. She’s the one.

I am not a person who has a firm belief in days like Friendship’s day or Valentine’s Day as my feelings for those who I love are not confined to specific days in the calendar. However, I like to make my loved ones feel special and therefore I try and express the same on these days. So there I was thinking, what on earth I was supposed to buy my friend this year.

My brain hopped, skipped and jumped from one possible option to another. From a meaningful card to varied vibrant colored wrist bands, from a cool t-shirt to funky accessories set, from a cute soft toy to a girly money purse etc.

I also ended up in a few popular gift shops hunting for the right thing. But neither Archies nor Gifts & You could end my search as nothing spectacular caught my attention.

Everywhere that I went, I found shops cramped up with school kids and college students buzzing around checking various beaded bands. Embroidered ones, satin bands with prints that were shouting ‘Friends Forever’ and ‘My Best Friend’ and ‘Happy Friendship’s Day’ etc. in contrasting eye-catchy loud colors but nothing worth my interest.

I saw friends clicking pictures together to be later labeled on coffee mugs and photo frames and t-shirts. Absolutely crazy! And there I was wondering about the one thing that I could not even remotely think of for my friend. I am a simplicity loving person and I always get brain-frozen in the stores with gregarious articles and hence, every time I would end-up leaving the stores empty-handed.

And then, there I was standing despondent outside one of those not-my-kind-shops when I suddenly knew exactly what I wanted for Rachel. And this is what I bought.

Thinking about it now, I laugh as to just how I couldn’t think about the right places to see. Just few months ago, Rachel had finished reading ‘The Notebook’ by Nicholas Sparks and she’d absolutely loved it. She had even expressed a desire to start reading its sequel ‘The Wedding’ again by Nicholas Sparks which I’d already read and is one of my most favorite books. I sprinted to Crosswords and purchased the available paperback. And I then knew I couldn’t have bought her anything else.

Let me not forget to mention that the smile that lit up Rachel’s face as soon as she laid her eyes on the book, was one I can never forget. It’s just priceless and means a hundred times more when you know that you are the reason behind that smile.

Knowing that I’d made my friend’s day made me happier and content.

‘The Wedding’ was the best gift I could give to her on Friendship’s day!

So, what did you gift your friend on Friendship’s day??

-Asha Seth