as her voice choked with emotion and controlled angst and dread rolled down my phone, found myself close to tears. a friendship that has lasted more than a few decades; remember the day I saw her outside the school office with her dad, just as I was, waiting for admission in Class VI. The journey from there on has been a long one; we've meandered, lost ourselves, lost touch, and she has lost much more in her life, but yes the yearly calls, have followed quite a regular pattern, touchwood. And I had thought she'd somehow confronted the demons and has emerged, atleast to an extent. looks like they are there to haunt her, and from what i decipher they seem to stay on, never to let go...she sounded so bleak and unsure. wanted to just hold her hand and be there; the way i used to be when we were in our pinafores and braided plaits. it was much simpler then, and she had me, to pour out all her stories; friends use to tease us, or rather her for her non-stop prattle. said she hardly talks these days! it hurts to see her this way; hurts to realise that life for some is a one big joke. hurts to think why one soul cannot cleanse another's, of misery and pain. hurts to be far away from a friend who is hurting.