MANY of us have this wonderful habit of sticking together with our friends, wherever we go, whatever we do; be it going to the teacher to submit an assignment, to get our name listed for an upcoming competition, to the canteen to buy snacks, or a simple act of visiting the school bathroom. We may call it a sign of being really close friends, it cannot be denied, however, that we become increasingly dependent on each other.

I was one such person, until one day something happened. It was the start of the new academic session and I had, thankfully, been promoted to grade nine.

Here, I must tell you that ever since my secondary school years started, I had always looked forward to this particular grade as it offered the students a chance to go on an excursion organised by the school — a grand two-week excursion to different parts of the country. You may call it wanderlust, because the mere idea drove me wild, especially because I had never been out of my city and travelling was my passion. Now that I was finally in the ninth grade, I was desperately waiting for this excursion.

One day, my best friend to whom I had given the responsibility to keep her eyes and ears open to the announcement of the aforementioned excursion, came to me.

“Hey,” she said, “that excursion you’re mad about, they’re giving out its forms in the office.”

“Then let’s go get the form!” I exclaimed with excitement.

“Relax buddy,” she said in her usual careless style. “The last date is the 19th of February. It’s the 14th today. We have plenty of time.”

Though impatient and excited, I shook the idea out of my mind temporarily because I never went anywhere without my best friend.

The next day, I reminded her again, “Let’s go get the form.”

“What do you mean?” she said. “There’s plenty of time.”

And I felt like I was being shoved in a corner again.

The third day, I said to her again, “Let’s go now. We’ve already wasted two days.”

“Oh please, Sania,” she said with annoyance, “There’s plenty of time!” Apparently she was not going to the excursion which best explains why she was the least bothered about me.

Fourth day....

Fifth day...

The last day, I really started to panic. “Come on!” I nearly bellowed. “Today is the last day. You said it’s the 19th, didn’t you?”

“What?” she said. “Oh. Oh yes. Let’s go.” Evidently she was not at all interested this time either but she couldn’t say no.

We raced towards the office on the second floor. The lady at the desk gave us a questioning look. “I want the form,” I said.

“What form?” She asked.

“The form of the excursion, of course,” I explained impatiently.

“But you’re late. Yesterday was the last date for collecting the forms,” was the reply. I thought my ears were deceiving me.

“No way,” I said. “It was the 19th and that is today!”

“Eighteenth, my dear,” she said with a sweet smile. “Didn’t you see the notice board?”

I rounded on my friend. “It was the 19th,” she replied. “I can bet anything, it was.”

I heard no more. I stormed out of the office, not knowing where I was going, the world swirling in front of my eyes.

“Look. I’m sorry,” my friend came running behind me. “I always mistake an eight for a nine and a nine for an eight. You know I have very weak eyesight.”

I pushed her away from me. “Then wear another pair of glasses over the one you’re already wearing!” I bellowed. “And don’t you ever talk to me again!”

She suddenly lost her temper. “Look! This is not my fault that this happened, it wasn’t even my business. If this excursion was so important to you, then you should’ve kept a check yourself. I’m not your servant!”

“Yes, this is entirely my fault,” I told myself. “This is my fault that I relied and depended so much on you. My fault that I didn’t do my work myself! What if it would have been a very important matter? Let’s say a matter of getting a scholarship or an admission? I would have been completely devastated then! I will not let this happen again. Only I am responsible for myself.”

Some things you have to do alone, by yourself.