My Dear Friend - Rose

Deep blue eyes with beautiful brushed lashes, curly blonde hair running over its rosy cheeks. Attired in silky white smoked frock covering its glossy knees.Showing its sleek legs with ankle frilled lace socks and those tiny feet elegantly buckled in black shoes.

Two feet tall neatly wrapped up in a huge box, I was thrilled to receive my first doll that I named Rose.

In fear to ruin its pearly white dress and a new acquaintance to me, for days Rose stayed in its box. No doubt it was a fancy and expensive frock but also the only pair Rose had.

Our meetings were restricted to few minutes in the morning before I left for school and an hour or two perhaps after I returned from school.

With Rose confined to it box, placed on the right corner of my study table and myself crossed leg on the chair we talked for hours about issues big and small.

I yapped and it listened without complaint. Then one day we overcame the boundary of this formality of once a day meet and greet session and we became friends. Ultimate friends!

Rose left the box for good and was with me wherever I went...

We had breakfast, we had lunch and of course we had dinner together. Rose accompanied me to the market with mother. Dropped me till my bus stop in the morning and was there to greet in the afternoons as well.

We slept together, we woke up together. I taught Rose to brush teeth twice a day- in the morning and before we go to bed.

Almost once in two weeks Rose was even a pal in the bath tub. While mother plaited my hair I experimented on Rose’s golden locks. We shared our hair clips and accessories.

Mother stitched dresses for Rose as beautiful as mine. Frocks, skirts, pants and shirts, salwar-kameez, night gown, hand knit sweater, lehnga-choli and dupatta. I also requested mother to get a box to arrange all clothes.

Rose sat there in silence while I finished my home work after school everyday. In await of the fun which came thereafter.

We played doctor- doctor together. Rose never grumbled and was always a ready patient for operation and surgeries.

In parlour-parlour I fancied Rose as my luxury client to try my hand on good make up skills and the art of tying a sari.

Rose was always a diligent student when we played teacher-teacher and I dictated spellings in the classroom sessions we had.

Then one day I took Rose out to introduce to my friends. As happy they were to meet Rose, equally pleased was Rose and in a few minutes contact Rose adapted a well suited role for itself in our ghar- ghar plays.

For eleven years Rose was my best friend, my buddy, my sister, my baby...

Rose was a part of me. It was there when I needed a shoulder to cry, when I was lonely. It was there when we celebrated festivals.

On my birthday party each year Rose saw me grow from a little girl to a young lady.

And I saw Rose slowly wither away. I never expected to seal and plaster the crack in its legs and elbows. The fading blue enticing eyes and a jelly like substance which made its lashes stick open and not close ever again. The rosy cheeks cracked and sulked.

Years later I realized one of the reasons Rose left me was it knew well I was grown up and had different priorities now and it was time to move on.

Twenty two years ago in 1986 father had introduced me to Rose when I passed Kindergarten (K.G.) with flying colours. Eleven years strong bond I still cherish. Its been almost ten years we bid goodbye. But every year as my birthday approaches writing the party list, I miss my dear friend-Rose.