This world is populated with almost uncountable number of people.You walk along in life's path, and come across millions of people: you hate some, you like some, you become friends with some, and very deep friends with a few. If anyone has heard Frank Sinatra's "All the way", you wouldn't have a lot of trouble recalling these lines in it:

"When somebody loves you,
it's no good, unless she loves you ALL THE WAY"

I think that line is too true for our life even beyond the she-love aspect.I think even for friends, if some body is your friend, it's no real good unless you can count on them for being your friend all the way.Unless you can take liberties with them, be free with them, don't hesitate about sharing your innermost feelings and your true self.Unless you feel free to talk to them even in the midst of a 4-a.m slumber. Where ever you work, where ever you live, where ever you study, you make a lot of friends and comrades.But you would realize yourself what I'm saying: Amongst all of those "friends" you make, there will be only a few handfull with whom you will be really free, the types you call the best friends or the 4-am friends. And in life, it is such friends which actually count, and which actually matter. The journey of life is a long one, an arduos one, and an almost never-ending one.Recalling another part of another beautiful song: Mariah Carey's "Hero" :

"It's a long road,
and you face the world alone.
No one reaches out a hand,
for you to hold..."

And in such a journey, there are plenty of times when you need someone to fall back upon, some one who will hold your hand and actually help you and stand for you. And it is these friends who actually matter then. But it's easier said than done, ofcourse, like everything else.You can't just easily get up one morning and say to yourself: "Aaah.Today's a nice day, let me go out and make some 4-am friends".Because that's not how it works, sadly. Such friends are really, literally as well as figuratively, like Diamonds.Found purely by chance, and treasured for a lifetime.And the bond is also as hard as a diamond, withstanding all the frictions caused. So here's wishing everyone a lot of good luck for finding some such worthy friends.

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Deviating massively from the topic for an instant, I just drove for the first time outside the IIT Campus.It's a harsh world out there, I tell you.You would know so yourself if you've driven on Indian Roads.But over all it was a very nice experience.Now the day is not very far when I start taking my own car to college!

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