Friends!!

Reading a lot of Arun Shourie's books have imparted me this gift of categorizing things. So let me try. Let me categories friends.They are of three types basically.
1. Pest Friends
2. Guest Friends
3. Best Friends
The first type of friend is simply an acquaintance. This means that you basically , only know their name. You might not even remember what they look like if you go away for a short vacation. Usually, you meet these type of friends in school, at work, on the bus, in the gym, or anywhere else you might be. You normally would not mind having a cup of coffee with them, but if anything else came up, you usually would have no problem parting company. You normally don’t miss them when they are elsewhere. It is also this type of friends who give you the most amount of aggravation. Since most of the time you are placed in a position where you have to act friendly, such as school or work,you would not normally tell an acquaintance when he or she is doing something aggravating, such as tapping the fingers an a table or chewing gum loudly. This is why I call them "pest friends."
The second category of friends I call "social partners." This is because they are closer than acquaintances, but no where near as close as a true friend. Social partners are usually acquaintances who evolve into "guest friends" through increased extracurricular activities. You know their name, a little of what they like or dislike, a little of their family history, and usually have several things in common. As the saying goes, "Birds of a feather flock together," so too the social partners have to have several things in common with you. No one is going to want to spend any more time than necessary with somebody completely opposite and aggravating to him. Keep in mind, though, that the biggest thing that distinguishes a "best friend" from a "guest friend" is the fact that "guest friends" usually don’t converse about anything substantial or deep, such as their innermost desires and fears. Usually, "guest friends" toy to keep the topic of conversation happy and light. They would not open up to you how they are really feeling. They are still preoccupied with "saving face." You still do enjoy hanging out with them. But when the going gets tough, they are not there for you. The last type of friend is the "best friend." Normally, you know them the longest. You probably grew up together as children or they might have come to your life and taken the most intimate place, Its just mutual chemistry. He or she knows everything about you. Likewise, you know everything about him or her.There comes a stage when you don't have to talk to him to convey or display your emotions , its just the subtle movement of your eye balls that will do (save lots of muscular energy , doesn't it, as one report says that over 1 million cells die , when u say hi).They are the one whom you can rely upon , they are the one with whom you share those things which are troubling you, which you cant even tell your family.
In fact when you look at at it with a political aspect , this relationship follows the basic principles on which our country is running i.e Equality, Democracy and Socialism.Well.. back to Mr. Shourie's Categorization
1. You classify brothers, sisters or whatever as big or small,bt best friends are one of the few relationship which cant be
classified at all.they are just the same.Gives you the sense
of equality.

2. When friends are there, there is no single boss or no single
leader , there is just one collective unit and that why its
so strong.That is where democracy comes in.

3. As melodramatic as it may look , but there is no rich and poor
Hindu and Muslim or Brahman and Non-Brahman when you talk
about friends .So all the principles of Secularism and
Socialism are perfectly followed aren't they.

The essence is ..that friendship is a phenomenon and friends are gifts that God bestowed upon humans when they felt , that the world may become too materialistic.
Dedicated to all my friends.
Manas Varma
(a friend)