When Life Gave Me Lemons

Mishti a sweet bubbly girl, with sparkling eyes, a typical Colgate smile and long silky hair. One word that could describe her would be “The energy bomb”. Oh! By the way, I forgot to tell you who am I. I am Sharmishta, called as Sammy and yes we had Mishti – sweetness overloaded in common. I need to tell you about this brave girl, Mishti – The energy bomb. You don't want to talk, you are tired, you are sleepy, you are feeling broken, just say hi to Mishti and your problems are resolved. You will feel energized, you will smile without your knowledge, you will feel light. That's Mishti's magic for you. But, no one then, even I did not know what will happen in a year down the lane.

  I and Mishti were buddies since our school days. We both could tolerate each other well. Yes! we could tolerate each other. We fought like we are enemies since our last lives and within no time we were friends again. Mishti would always keep her law points ready, for the smallest of the thing she would cook up a big story. Aaah! Our maths teacher rightly called her ‘the mega serial' because she was never-ending. 

 After our 10th exams, we got into science stream to stay focused on becoming doctors or engineers. Mid of 11th, Mishti realised this was not what she wanted to be. As expected she could convince her parents that she would not do anything with science after 12th because she wanted to do something unique, something different. Her parents had said yes to the same with the condition that it she should score 95% in her board exams. 

   11th went on quickly like a passing cloud. It was the first day of our 12th standard and for the first time I saw Mishti a bit serious. I asked her “ Hey Mishti! All okay?”. She nodded her head and said “I am going to get 95% come what may. I will study all by myself post school hours, like I am touching science books for the last time ever in my life”. I felt like I am talking to the enlightened “Mishti Maate” for a moment.

Then I realised, it is typical behaviour of the first day of 12th grade class of many students. I wished Mishti all the best and kept quiet thinking should be normal in few days. Probably I was overconfident or I underestimated my best pal whom I had known for years. Soon the first test was round the corner. I was getting help from other resources which kept my head a little hig than where it should have been. When the results of first test were out I was like, I am seeing something unbelievable. Mishti was the topper. I knew she will work hard but did not seriously expect this much. I remember the lines told by Aamir Khan in a movie “It hurts when your friend fails, but it hurts deeper when your friend is a topper”. This is where the cold war began between us. We had this ‘J’ peeping in ourselves without our knowledge.

    Mishti wanted to try it out for a month without any additional support, just to see as she was actually serious about not taking any competitive exams. It turned out by the end of the trial period that she was comfortable without any additional support for her preparation, because of which her parents continued the same. We started spending less time over nonsense talks which were actually our energizers. We spent more time with our books. The next target in our mind was the midterm exam. Both of wanted our names before each other in the toppers list. Mishti had started working day and night with less sleep. She had told me about this once when I had asked her about the dark circles around the eyes. She had to do this because she had got adjusted without any additional support. 

        It was the day exams began. To my surprise and worry as well, Mishti did not turn up for the exam. I run up to her house soon after the exam to see the doors locked which got me even more worried. No answer for phone calls, no reply for messages. I had to rush back home because my parents were worried for me. It was after the second paper, that day evening my phone rang. Three days after my wait for Mishti, it was her mom who called saying “Come home beta, want to talk to you”. I just left everything and ran up to her house to check what had happened.

    With my legs shivering, my hands getting cold, I knocked at the door of Mishti’s house. Her mom opened the door and she looked unusually tired. I asked her almost immediately as I entered the house “All okay Aunty? Where is Mishti? Why did she miss our exam?” Mishti’s mom was in tears. She held my hand and led me to Mishti’s room. What I saw then was the worst nightmare that I had not even dreamt of. I saw Mishti lying on the bed with an injury on the forehead trying hard to open her eyes. So many medicines on her study table instead of books. I broke down. Mishti’s mom placed her hands which were shivering on my shoulders and she said “Beta, don't worry she will get better. Two days before the exam she banged her head to the floor after her 7-minute power nap in the evening. She had a seizure and presently diagnosed with a condition called epilepsy. All that she is supposed to do now is to only rest and nothing else for a month at least. You can come to see her whenever you feel like”. Hearing to Mishti’s mom all the negative emotions that I had for Mishti disappeared and I only offered prayers that she should be better soon. Now I just waited for the day when exams would get over so that I could spend some time with my dear friend. 

    As I went to see Mishti I decided not to talk anything that would be demotivating for her. But as I saw her she was all the way normal and spoke like how she was before. We sat together for dinner. I couldn’t hold myself back and I asked her “ How are you Mishti? I am sorry for whatever has happened”. She replied “ Why should you be sorry? It is something that I bought it for myself with my unrealistic plans. I would not blame my parents that they told me to score 95%. They have told me because I am capable. But the way I planned things was wrong. I was never told to miss my sleep and study or to keep away from my world that I was in my 11th standard. It was all my foolish decisions that have landed me here. Now I am going to set things right. Doctor has told me to sleep for 8 hours and I will. I will also score 95%. I just have to work on strategic planning.” I was stunned by Mishti’s will power to overcome the condition she was in. I told her that I will be with her for anything at all. 

  Mishti made up her mind to talk about her condition whom with all she knew closely. It was not for the sake of sympathy but for her sake. If an emergency arises when she was in school, how she should be taken care of and given first aid before she would be taken to the hospital. She even told me and her close friends where she had kept her SOS medicines so that we don’t panic, in case an emergency arises. I had stopped asking her about her studies but she never stopped. I could see her coming back like the old bubbly girl not with so much of energy though. 

  Soon it was time for board exams and I prayed God that everything should go well. Mishti did not take up any of the competitive exams not because of her health condition but she had decided not to write half the way of her 11th standard itself. She had shortened her hair. I did not want to question her about it till exams were done. On the last day of the exam I asked her with a lot of hesitation “Hey! Are you all alright? Why have you shortened your hair?” She replied “Don’t worry Sammy, I am fine. I gave away my long hair to make a wig for cancer patients. This is the least I could do for people who suffer”. She gave me a hug and left. Tears rolled from my eyes for her the way she was. I thought for myself “Sometimes we people think we are doing something great and make announcements on social media, media that we have done this we have done that. But this girl having done so much has not advertised it nor her condition”.

   It was the day of results and I could make it to a distinction but this time was more happy for Mishti because against all odds she could make it for 95.5%. It was truly her determination and will power that made her achieve what she wanted to. We met each other exchanged sweets. Mishti said “See I won!”. I replied saying “I am glad I lost”. So, “what next?” She asked. I had cleared one of the competitive exams so had decided to go with my engineering and I told her the same. I told her to take a break and then get back to studies. She said “Too much of rest will make me lazy. I am moving to Jharkhand for further studies. I know I will miss my parents, I will miss you. But over the last 3 months, life has shown me a different face. I have gone through lot of changes that has made me independent for myself within. This is a chance that I can give for my betterment and I had decided on this way before all this happened”. I was left speechless. More out of concern I asked her “ Who is going to look after you there?” She smiled and said “ While you know me I will have lot of friends. More than anyone I know who I am and I need to take care of myself too.These are the lessons that I have learnt in the last 3 months. When I come back you be prepared to hear to my mega serial experiences.” We hugged each other tight before we departed apart..

This made me realise all comes within. You make yourself strong, so you are from within. You make yourself weak, so you are from within. It’s also about how you handle yourself however bad the situation around you is. Since that day, I wait for Mishti to hear about her mega serial of experiences. As I think about this girl only thing that comes to my mind is “Come what may Never Give Up”.