When you cross the street, take my hand,

Life is what happens to you when you’re busy making other plans.”

— John Lennon

Life is an amazing game. We can just make a new move and find that our life is taking a new turn. This was exactly what happened to me. I had never expected, my life would turn into a jigsaw puzzle and my friends with whom I spent almost all the years of my school life would be strangers during my last days at school. I also got the gift of new friends who are now so close to me that I feel I have known them for ages.

Malu and I had been best friends. Six years ago, she joined another school and we didn’t have much contact since then. I thought our friendship had ended. Recently, a friend who had left our school with Malu called me up and we chatted for an hour. That was when I decided to call Malu up and after so many years we were talking on the phone. I knew she was not the same old pal but neither was I the same girl. However, I was so glad that my happiness knew no bounds.

After a few days, our school took us on a field trip. The chirping of the birds made the environment pretty and the warm sun filled us with enthusiasm. Everything was going fine. After spending a few hours, we returned to our bus and I sat beside Malu to chat with her, I realised later that she was ignoring me. It was my birthday next and I invited her to my party and she directly said no. It was then that I fully realised that she is not the same girl anymore, the girl that had been my closest friend. One fine day, I called her up and asked her what the matter was. I even apologised to her in case I had said or done anything wrong. She said: “Change yourself. That’s it ! I don’t want to be your friend anymore.” I asked her what I must do to change myself and she didn’t bother to answer.

The same day another friend of mine blamed me for spreading rumours about her, which I had no clue about. That very day was the worst day of my life.

I was very depressed and with a heavy heart,was having my lunch alone. A girl came up to me and said she wanted to be my friend. I was very surprised because I had not seen her in my twelve years of schooling. As months passed we became the best of friends. Then on her brother’s wedding, she invited me and introduced to her other friends. After a few days, when I had a problem in school, many other school mates I didn’t know so well, held out their helping hand. Then slowly my friend circle increased and it is now an integral part of my life.

This is my last month in school and now I realise that life is a game. Those who can play it well, get a chance to be the queen of hearts and those who can’t, don’t even get a soulspace to live in. So don’t be sad if something goes wrong because if you look around you’ll find that one problem leads to a hundred new pastures. The only thing you need to do is be patient and work hard to accept all the challenges that life brings your way. And lo behold, your life is all yours!

— Kritika Amatya, Class X, Galaxy Public School