Life’s A Box Of Chocolate

A personal story on life, friendship and generosity.

I love chocolates, especially dark ones. They are less in milk and perhaps sugar but somehow they are sweet enough for me. If they are in the 50 percent dark category, it is almost perfect for me.

The milk chocolate is like a cheat. You are not experiencing the magical cocoa flavour like you do in a dark chocolate.

Life is like a dark chocolate — there is mixture of sweet and bitterness. And that is these combination which makes life so amazing just like your chocolate. And when you think about life, it is incomplete without your best friend. Everyone has that one friend with whom you can connect, share and have the best fun. Sometimes you develop a special lingo with your bestie.

The Gifts Keep Coming

When I was a kid, all the people in my neighbourhood used to come in and give me gifts on birthday.

I felt special.

The chocolates, books and watch was best among the various gifts I received. And every year, I kept waiting for my special day. My parents wouldn’t scold me, I get to wear new dress and play as long as I can. The best part is I get to eat food as per my liking.

The world revolved around me literally. Growing up, suddenly the number of gifts started to become less.

At first, I related it to my worthiness and but my mom consoled me. Slowly I realized that grown-ups aren’t pampered as a kid.

Also, when I was a kid I would get happy for literally anything but now somehow the value of the gift in money mattered more.

The Surprise

Obviously, I understood that gift giving culture isn’t rigid when you grow up. Your colleagues will celebrate your birthdays with all enthusiasm but when you graduate and get separated, they don’t have the time to even check on you.

It’s the nature that most people whom you consider friends are colleagues and most colleagues are just acquaintances.

It’s all fine as long as you have one best friend who is real, stands by you, listens, care and you do the same for her.

My best friend had just started earning and my birthday was on 17th August. As usual, I was expecting a few birthday wishes on messages and few on calls. Some gifts or blessing in real life with whom I was currently connected.

But on 10th August, I received a package. It was nicely packed. Receiving physical mail addressed to you is rare when everything gets done online. What I received was a big package, my whole family got excited. As we unwrapped it, there it was — a box of chocolates.

On it was a letter,

Dear Rohan,
You are my best friend and this is a small token on your birthday for you to enjoy. I know you love chocolates a lot — I hope it makes your birthday sweeter. Cheers to our friendship.
- S.M.

That was probably the best letter I had received, it felt amazing and 10th August became the best day.

And as usual on my birthday, no gifts received. Why you postal people send the gifts in advance…?