Well, everybody knows that the first impression counts. Everyday life gives us plenty of opportunities to come across new people and interact with them.

Here, I’d like to share an incident when I happened to meet Reema for the first time, who later became my best friend. I can vividly recall the first day of my college when a North-East Indian girl with flawless rosy complexion sat beside me in the class.

Initially, I was reluctant to converse with her. Finally, I broke the ice and said, Hello to her with a smile and she smiled back. After the lecture, we went to the canteen to have a little chat. She told me that she didn’t really have many friends as she is painfully shy and she is trying to expand her social circle. She also told me a lot about herself and her life. I was really fascinated to know about her culture, rituals, food and language. What surprised me the most was her linguistic ability, she knew 5 languages. Even though this interaction lasted for a short while, it was very interesting. It gave me a glimpse into the lives of people living in North-Eastern India. These people are kind and open-minded.

From that day onwards, we started spending time together. Our mutual understanding and common interests are till date serving as a backbone of our friendship.