Hey, Sham.
8th December, 1997. Your parents made plans, and out you came, screaming into the world, already presumably full of angst and rage at the state of things.
I’ve known you for nearly 6 years, now. To some, that might not be a lot. Hell, you’ve got close friends who’ve known you longer than I have. In these past 6 years, I’ve seen you grow leaps and bounds to evolve into the wonderful, oh so special human you are today. I didn’t have the privilege of knowing you before 2017, but I’m sure my respect for you wouldn’t have lessened in intensity even back then.
Since you came into my life, I feel like we’ve grown through so much together. Every year we had a new problem, a new challenge to tackle. I think it’s easy to look at one’s friends and say “we’re a team”… but for us, it’s way more than just saying it. We’ve… experienced quite a lot of stuff in this brief amount of time we’ve spent getting to know each other.
I’ve seen you cry because your laptop stopped working before a practical exam, I’ve seen you cry when people near and dear to you suddenly vanish. I’ve seen you cry when your hair was cut a tad bit too short, I’ve seen you cry when your hair was coloured too intensely. I’ve seen you cry when food made your tummy hurt, I’ve seen you cry when the moon does the same.
I’ve seen you smile when you talk about discovering a new album or an indie hip-hop artist. I’ve seen you smile when you experience a new food item… that despite all your misgivings proves you wrong. I’ve seen you smile while watching a shitty movie, I’ve seen the same when you’re watching some brilliant writing on screen. You smile when you talk about stuff you care about, to people you care about. You smile when you meet people who make you think.
You’re intense, as a person. That was my first impression of you, and I think I’ll continue to stand by it. To some, that may be intimidating. To me, it was something to aspire to. To have that level of self-assurance and confidence in myself and in my opinions to truly not give a shit, to know that you’re right. It took me some time to realize that you weren’t simply… born this way. You had to mold yourself that way, circumstances forced you to.
Despite your intensity, you also have the ability to be gentle, nurturing… so warmly supportive to those who reach out to you. Your brash exterior doesn’t make this apparent, but those who know you, those who truly count you amongst their friends… will understand what I’m talking about. You’ve been toughed by events in your life, but at your core you’re… just someone longing to find their place in the world. Someone who simply needs a friend they can call their own. I’d like to believe I’ve been fulfilling that role for quite some time, now. And I’d like to continue to do the same.
Look at you now. Wow.
Over these years I’ve seen you actively grow into the incredible individual you are today. Gone are the days when you used to fall into an existential crisis every other day, wondering where your life is going. Now it’s only once a week! See? Growth is growth.
You’re willing to take risks, now. You took a risk when you approached me, but that is just one of many. Your penchant for taking risks, for trying to grasp an opportunity from out of thin air has gotten you so far in life. It led to you making close friends. It led to you slowly defining an identity of your own. It even led to Grappus. You literally manifested a job in the creative field, just because you could.
What people think of you today is so different from what you used to think of yourself, not too long ago. How can one… not be proud of such incredible growth?
Through times good and bad, through health good and bad, through the many ups and downs the both of us have experienced… you’ve been my reset point. You’re my calm in the storm, my break in the music.
You’re my best friend, and it makes me proud to say that this incredible person counts me as their best friend, too.
As of this moment, you’ve turned 25 years old. Twenty. Plus five. What a number. Who’d have thought someday we’d be that age? Twenty five. WOW. Age has always been just a number to me, but it never has been that way for you.
You’re in Bangalore right now. You’ve got a hectic few days ahead of you. You won’t really have the time to reminisce over the changes you’ve been through… but since you’re at the end of this post, I hope you managed to remember the times we’ve shared, the times we are sharing, and the times we will continue to share.
Happy 25th, Sham. May the coming years give you everything you’ve wanted, even the stuff you didn’t know you needed. I will always be rooting for you, just beside you.
You’re so special, and I am so fortunate to have run into you (heh) that cold February evening.
