“I would rather walk with a friend in the dark, than alone in the light.”
― Helen Keller
I made a of friends in my life and somehow lost more friends than I had. But in the end, there were a few who are still with me, and I hope they will stay by my side for the rest of my life. I can’t imagine my life without them. But there are other friends who I know will be there for me forever; my books. I feel a story is not complete until it has two best friends fighting the world. So, here are a few literary friendships that give me friendship goals:
- Harry and Ron and Hermione in Harry Potter: This trio sums up #SquadGoals. They take down everything from trolls to the Dark Lord together, and we all know that Harry wouldn’t have gotten anywhere without his two best friends. They care for each other, stick together always, get suspended together. They know each other inside out. Their skills perfectly complement one another, and they always have each other’s backs until the very end.
- Frodo and Sam from The Lord of the Rings: If every friend were as loyal, caring, and brave as Samwise Gamgee, the world would be a better place. He gives up so much for Frodo and goes with him to the darkest of places. Cooks for him, carries his bags, takes his temper, which is obviously because of the ring.
- Lena, Tibby, Carmen and Bridget from The Sisterhood of Travelling Pants: The leading ladies of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants support one another through good times and bad. They drift apart, things get bad. Still, their friendship mends, one way or another. They find their way back to each other.
- Elizabeth and Charlotte from Pride and Prejudice: These two beauties are intelligent, spirited women, but they don’t see eye to eye on matters of the heart. Elizabeth chides Charlotte when she marries for convenience, and Charlotte rebukes Elizabeth for her stubborn opinions, but their friendship outlasts the conflict. Still, Lizzy can never fully subscribe to Charlotte’s viewpoint, even if she respects her as a person. And sometimes that’s the kind of friend you need. Someone who can challenge your perspectives and tell you when you are wrong.
- Mariam and Laila from A Thousand Splendid Suns: Two very different women who form an unbreakable bond amid terrible circumstances and personal tragedy. It’s been a while since I’ve read this one, but I remember the deep relationship that developed between these two women being one of my favourite parts.
- Bruno and Shmuel from The Boy in Striped Pyjamas: I remember crying my heart out after completing this book. Bruno’s and Shmuel’s friendship was so cute. Bruno breaks all the barriers just to play with Shmuel, brings food for him, wears his clothes just to help him out.
- Charlie, Patrick and Sam from Perks of being Wallflower: These three are so different from each other. Each has their emotional baggage and past they suffer from. Instead of all that, they pick each other up when needed and understand the importance of silence and being there for each other.
- Miles, Colonel and Alaska from Looking for Alaska: Do I even have words to write about their friendship? No, I don’t. All the pranks they pull, all the times they help each other out and take a stand, honour each other. Ah! My heart breaks just thinking about the ending, but their friendship was love.
- Jess and Leslie Bridge to Terabithia: Jess is so frustrated and angry all the time due to his family and then comes along Leslie, who helps him let go of his anger. They build a fictional world for themselves and become each other escapes from the harsh reality. They protect each other from school bullies and its just a dream friendship for every child.
- The Five Friends from 10 Minutes and 38 Seconds in a Strange World: This book was my latest read, and I loved it. The five friends, a set of undesirables from different parts of the world, are an inspiration. They are shunned by society; suffer humiliation and the worst you can imagine. Their family discards them. But in the end, they find a new family in the form of friends and stick with each other until the last moment. It scares me to think what would have happened to Leila if she didn’t have such good friends
