Chapter 4: A Friendship Beyond Time

By afternoon, Mahendra Rathore's car entered the vibrant streets of Bikaner.

Instead of going straight to Haji Kareem's house, he asked the driver to stop at their usual meeting place—Sur Sagar Lake, a peaceful spot where the two friends had been meeting for decades whenever Mahendra visited Bikaner.

The gentle breeze carried the scent of the nearby food stalls, while pigeons fluttered around the lake. Elderly men sat on benches discussing old memories, and children laughed as they ran along the pathway.

Mahendra stepped out of the car, looked around with a smile, and sat on their favorite bench beneath a large neem tree.

A few minutes later, a white SUV stopped nearby.

Out stepped Haji Kareem Qureshi, carrying a steel tiffin in one hand.

The moment their eyes met, both men smiled like young boys meeting after school.

Haji Kareem: "Arre, Mahendra!"

Mahendra: "Kareem!"

Without another word, they walked towards each other and embraced tightly.

It wasn't just a hug.

It was the embrace of two friends whose bond had survived the passing of decades.

Pulling back, Mahendra looked at him carefully.

Mahendra: "You're still younger than me, but your beard has become completely white."

Haji laughed heartily.

Haji Kareem: "And you still think you're my senior."

Mahendra proudly raised his chin.

Mahendra: "I am your senior. I was two classes ahead of you in school."

Haji Kareem: "Yes, yes... and you never let me forget it."

Both burst into laughter.

They sat down on the bench.

Haji opened the tiffin box, and the aroma of freshly made kheer filled the air.

Haji Kareem: "As ordered by my senior."

Mahendra took the first spoonful and closed his eyes.

Mahendra: "Perfect... exactly the same taste."

Haji smiled with satisfaction.

Their friendship had begun more than fifty years ago in their school days.

Mahendra, the senior student, had once stood up for young Kareem when a few older boys tried to bully him. From that day onward, Kareem had followed Mahendra like a younger brother.

Though one was a Hindu Rajput and the other a Muslim Qureshi, they never allowed religion, status, or distance to come between them.

They studied together, celebrated each other's festivals, stood beside one another through weddings, family joys, and heartbreaking losses.

Years passed.

Mahendra settled in Rajgarh.

Kareem built his life in Bikaner.

But no matter how busy life became, their friendship remained unchanged.

Every year, whenever Mahendra visited Bikaner, they met at the same bench beside Sur Sagar Lake, shared homemade kheer, laughed over old stories, and spoke about their families.

To everyone around them, they were respected elders.

To each other...

They were still the same Mahendra and Kareem from school, proving that true friendship never grows old—it only grows stronger with time.