The Bond

Natalie still remembers her first day in the school that summer about 10 years back. Her father had recently got transferred to this new place and she was forced to leave behind her old comfort zones and move on to this new bad world she thought. The last day at the old school had been a very emotional one and she had still her emotions swelling up her throat as she thought of that last day. Natalie had walked into the massive gate of the school - the car that had come to drop her seemed to have moved out so far off..her mom's hand waiving her goodbye almost could not be seen. .with a fear in her chest and a brave smile on her face, she had moved towards the assembly section. A large group of children in various age groups were huddled together busy chatting, giggling, quickly turning through some books but nobody had time for her. They had not noticed the new girl walking with the bag clutched in her hands desperately searching for a soulmate who would help her make the first day so much more comfortable...Suddenly Natalie had seen a girl in clutches moving towards her. Wearing an over size specatacles, this girl was carefully making her way towards Natalie. She too had a very bare smile and was hardly able to balance herself with her bag, her clutches and a large sized bag on her back. Natalie somehow felt herself moving towards her and suddenly there were in the midst of the school ground holding out their hands for each other. The girl smiled - said: "Hi I am Martha - I too have joined this school today - I believe you are Natalie - welcome"! Natalie knew she was the one person that her eyes had searched for ever since she had set her feet on the campus. Hand in hand they walked in, with Natalie holding Martha's bag along with hers.Almost 20 years later, Natalie and Martha today stand proud cherishing their old friendship. While Natalie is practises law , Martha runs her own playschool. They have been together through thick and thin, pain and cheer. They have made new friends moved ahead in life with their respective partners but they never forget to celebrate the day they first met each other in the school premises...two gawky teenagers who had no one but themselves to cling to when everything they had grown up with had been left behind...