There are some people in your life who start off as “friends,” but somewhere along the way, that word just stops being enough. It feels too small for everything they’ve come to mean. That’s what happened with us three classmates who grew up sharing classrooms, chai, heartbreaks, and a hundred terrible selfies.

Now? We’re all in different corners of the world.

One’s abroad, chasing something big and beautiful. One’s still in Kerala, just a few hours away but busy in his own world. And I’m in Chennai living a life I never imagined but still carrying them quietly in everything I do.

We’re not the kind of friends who talk every day. In fact, there are weeks that pass without a single message. No good mornings. No “how was your day?” texts. But somehow, the bond never changes. It just lives in silence, in memory, in knowing.

We’re Not a Movie

We’re not like the best friends you see in movies. You know, the type who are constantly on calls, posting stories together, sending long messages on birthdays. That’s not us.

We don’t do that.

In fact, most of our chats begin with someone calling the other an idiot. Or roasting someone’s new profile picture. Or pulling up an old embarrassing memory just for laughs.

But behind all that nonsense is the kind of comfort you can’t fake.

We’ve seen each other at our worst—post-exam breakdowns, awkward haircuts, relationship messes, family drama. And somehow, we’ve always found our way back to the same space, without apology or explanation.

Teasing Is Our Love Language

In our group, two of us always end up teasing the third. It could be anyone, really. Today it’s me, tomorrow it’s the other guy. But it’s never mean. It’s just how we talk—how we show love.

When one of us has a bad day, we still show up. Maybe not with flowers or big pep talks, but with memes, sarcasm, and an unspoken “I got you.”

That’s always been our way.

Distance Changed Everything—Except Us

Back in college, we were inseparable. The same jokes, the same chai shop, the same corner in the canteen. We were each other’s every day.

Now we’re building lives in different places, around different people. But when something really big happens—when life hits hard or when something great finally works out—I find myself typing into our group chat without even thinking.

No matter how long it’s been, we always pick up where we left off. No awkwardness. No guilt trips. Just connection. Pure, raw, and unshakable.

We Fight. Of Course, We Do.

I won’t sugarcoat it—we’ve had fights. Misunderstandings. Times when one of us felt left out. Hurt. But the thing is, our fights have never lasted.

Maybe because deep down, we know the bond is bigger than the ego.

Even after an argument, when one of us really needed the others, we always came through. No questions asked.

Friendship Doesn’t Need a Day

I don’t really need Friendship Day to remember them. They’re stitched into my life in ways I can’t explain.

Sometimes it’s a song on the radio that reminds me of a trip we took.

Sometimes it’s the way I still make Maggi—just like one of them used to.

Sometimes it’s just a meme I scroll past, and I smile, knowing exactly how they’d react.

That’s the thing. We don’t talk every day. But they never really leave. They’re in my thoughts, my habits, my stories.

Not “Good Friends” or “Bad Friends”—Just My Friends

You know how people say there are good friends and bad friends? I don’t believe in that. I think there are just your friends. The ones who understand your silence. Who know your old pain and your new hope? Who may not show up with flowers, but will always show up with you.

We’ve accepted that we’re not going to be those perfect, picture-posting, quote-sharing kind of friends. We’re messy. We’re chaotic. We forget birthdays sometimes. We miss calls. But we’re there when it truly matters. Always.

So no, I won’t be posting a “Happy Friendship Day” message for them on Instagram. I won’t send long emotional texts either.

But if they call, I’ll pick up on the first ring.

Because real friendship doesn’t need a reminder.