My Lost University Friend

I haven’t been on Facebook for a while. That way I lost touch with a good friend, Sharmin. I last got in touch with her in 2021 after I had Covid. It was a short online group chat with friends. Sharmin asked me to join the group chat. I chatted with them, including Sharmin, for a while. After that, I lost touch. Only a few days ago, I came in contact with her after leaving her a quick message on FB messenger. But she didn’t respond to my message immediately.

Later, she contacted me on the phone via WhatsApp. After questioning me about where I was and what I was doing, she talked about the Europe tour she made with her hubby and daughter last July. I was full of awe, listening to her about all the places she visited and the long-lost mutual friends she met. She had fun. I scanned through her pictures of the tour on Facebook.

She lives in Australia and asked me to visit her. Now I am not sure if I will visit her. Maybe I won’t or maybe I will because I have been looking online about the way to apply for a tourist visa. I am not sure at all.

Sharmin’s daughter will get promoted to grade 8 next year. She speaks English fluently. I am not sure if she can speak Bangla. I remember the first time I heard from Sharmin that her daughter was born. Her Mom looked very happy in the pictures then.

Certainly, she is a good planner and budgeter. A few years ago, when she had her 10^th marriage anniversary, she had toured the US and Canada with family. I had the opportunity to look at mutual friends with her in pics then. Yes, she visited these friends, who are still staying in the US and Canada, during the tour.

Both Sharmin and her hubby work. Together with savings and the incomes they earn, they managed to build a large spacious home. It is that home I am invited to. Of course, if I go to her place, I will be touring her city with her.

I know Sharmin as far as my university years. She was always my lab group partner and also my thesis partner for undergraduate studies in Computer Science and Engineering.

It’s fun talking to Sharmin. She will cut jokes with you in a way you can’t elude laughing. It’s great to chat and laugh with her. Whenever you want to feel enlightened, I think it is a good idea to chat with her. She will make you happy.

I remember staying nights with my friend to finish projects and assignments while we were still studying at the university. I remember her and her Mom cooking for other friends and me who stayed nights at their previous place in Dhaka.

In 2006 she got married and settled in Australia. She took her Mom, along with her hubby, to the foreign land. It was a giant step for her, but she made it. She has been living in Australia ever since. But sadly, her Mom passed away a couple of years ago.

Sharmin drives to work and drops her daughter at school. She arrives at home late in the evening. She watches TV and has dinner. Like everyone else, she is busy and leads a busy life. But as I have narrated before, she does take vacations and tours to places to charge up and rejuvenate.

I remember her saying how scared she felt when she first took her driving lessons. She bought an old car first and practiced driving for a while. Then she sold the car and having gained confidence, she drove a new car smoothly. She has been driving smoothly ever since. Like I said before, she is a good planner and budgeter.

Sharmin is great with household activities as well. She knows how to cook well. At all Eid festivals and other Bengali occasions, she cooks and prepares gorgeous recipes. She is a great host for guests. I have seen her treat me as a guest here in Dhaka before, and I have first-hand experience. She is indeed a quality girl.

She also makes sure that her family wears new clothes on these occasions and takes photo shots of herself and also together as a family. She is a smart girl. She knows how to keep her family engaged and knows how to enjoy life despite busy everyday schedules.

May God shower Sharmin and their family with blessings. I keep them in my prayers. She is too precious to be lost again from my life. She showed me a way to keep in touch with her, and that is via WhatsApp. I intend to retain the bonding.

This content reflects the personal opinions of the author. It is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and should not be substituted for impartial fact or advice in legal, political, or personal matters.

© 2023 Rosina S Khan