337. The Smile on the Face

Friendship is a rich human relationship. Sometimes one is able to confide in a friend what he cannot speak to a family member. When companionship matures into friendship, sensation ripens into emotion. Sensation is primary, is of the animal. Emotion is of the heart, is born only in the human being. Mother gives friendship Her Touch and makes it noble, magnanimous and divine. Friendship does not permit calculations, mercenary conditions, profit or loss. Friendship is friendship. It knows no other consideration.

 There were two boyhood friends. Between them subsisted an intense intimacy. Both took to Mother. Both were of different moulds. One was a born leader. The other loved to submit. They never pursued higher studies. For a long time the submissive one was conscious of something in himself. He was not proud of what he saw; actually he was frightened of it. Certain undesirable thoughts used to arise in him. Invariably that led to undesirable consequences. It was his lifelong effort to get the better of it, get rid of it. Suddenly he noticed affairs of his friend were going wrong. He thought maybe he was behind it. Quietly he left his friend and pursued another career. All his wishes were for his friend's welfare and well-being. Years passed. He did see some change in himself for the better. But he was unwilling to risk a visit to his old friend. After ten full years, one day a phone call came from the friend.

It was on a work in which both related with each other. It was a pleasant moment in the lives of both. Soon the old friendship revived. On his face a SMILE appeared involuntarily. It was the Smile of the revived friendship. All along he knew there had been no complaint in his own heart. He also knew that his dominant friend could not or would not harbour a grievance in his heart. Now, he saw and felt and sensed in his nerves that his own friendship, their friendship was true. "I have not been given up. My friendship has been accepted. It has life."  That blossomed as a SMILE on his face. It refused to go. At work, on the road, while at a meeting, the Smile found its way to his lips. Sometimes he was shy, sometimes embarrassed. There were times when he was proud. He could not take the Smile off his face, nor did he want to.