‘Define friendship’. Google this phrase and I’m sure you’ll get n number of friendship quotes. We all have our friends and our own ways of expressing this amazing relationship that we have the liberty to chose for ourselves, in words. The number of friends we have in our lives depends not so much on whether we are extroverts or introverts, but more on the qualities we look for in a friend. The more specific you get on what you look for in a friend, fewer the friends you have in your life.

Here’s my take on what a true friend is all about

Dost wo hai, jisse kuch kehne se pehle sochna na pare: Can you share anything and everything in your heart and life with the one you call your friend, without fear of being misunderstood or being judged

Friends don’t judge you: A real friend will never try to judge you by what you say or do. And if they judge, they are critics not friends because for a real friend, you can never be wrong

Acceptance: A true friend will accept you with all your imperfections, Good, bad or ugly, a true friend accepts you just the way you are. No one is perfect but for a friend you are the best just the way you are.

Stand by me: A true friend literally stands by you even when the world is against you

Understanding: A friend can sing the song in your heart when you have forgotten the lyrics. They understand every word you say even when you don’t really say it.

Nache bhi wo teri khushi mein: Your joys should be sufficient reason to make a friend smile.

Do you have the time: Don’t tell me you are busy. You can always find a few precious minutes for a friend no matter how busy you get.

And, Once a friend always a friend: Not that friends don’t argue or fight. Even Tom and jerry do. But tom never gulped jerry. Because no matter what, ‘Ek baar hamne commitment kar di uske baad to hum apni bhi nahi sunte’. So tell me, ‘Are you friends for life?

Well, I guess this shortens your friend list to just one or two wonderful people in your life. But that’s okay because ‘Making a million friends is not a miracle, the miracle is to make one friend who is worth a million’.