Keeping In Touch.

 I'm going back home for Christmas in a couple of weeks and I'm going to be seeing a lot of friends who I said goodbye to almost six months ago. The move to college (not just my move, but everyone's- it's been a bloody migration) has changed relationships- some are stronger, some are weaker and some are just...different. Deep reflection (helped pass the half an hour I spent being trapped in a god forsaken Metro) and being influenced by my insane brother's love for categorising things made me realise that there are various kinds of- what I like to call- Keep In Touchers in our lives...

1. The One You're Always In Touch With: This sort of friend is special because, well, let's face it- if there's even one person out there who makes the effort to keep in touch at least twice a week despite your being in different cities/countries and who knows exactly what's going on in your life at any given moment, it means you're not alone. It means that you're probably a semi nice person. It means that you're probably loved. It means a lot of things.
I don't want to brag or anything but I have a lot of friends in this category-Moo, MWF, Tanu and Jahnavi. Mothers, grandmothers and stalkers don't count.

2. The One Who's Always There: This sort of friend is not someone you talk to everyday. It doesn't really matter though, because whenever you need this friend (or the friend needs you), all you need to do is send a text or a quick email and you get an instant response. The specialness of Type 2 friends lies in the fact that they never make you feel as if you're being a nuisance and no matter how busy they are, they always make time for you.
Pria and my brother (who is sort of my friend, I suppose) fall into this category. So does Bon.


3. The One You Never Talk To Or Text But Who Loves You Anyway: You somehow never have time to call/text/keep in touch with this friend. But it doesn't matter and you don't even feel the need to because you already have Types 1 and 2 to talk to if you need someone to talk to. Besides, with this friend, even though you don't feel the urge to talk to them regularly, you're aware that you love them and that they love you. And the moment you see them, even if its been months and months since you last saw each other, it's going to be as if you never were apart at all.
For example, I rarely talk to Ishani or Jayatri but when I do or even when I see them, it's as if no time has passed. We fall back comfortably into our old places. It's the same with Arjun M- something which anyone who knew me at fourteen will find hilarious.


4. The One You're Not Particularly Close To But Who You Miss In a General Sort Of Way Because They Were Once a Part Of Your Everyday Life: School friends fall into this category. Close school friends. Maybe you weren't best friends or anything, but you went out for lunch and you sat together in class and you copied each other's homework and you whined about tests to each other. You do feel a genuine affection- maybe even love- for them. Maybe you haven't kept in touch over the year except for an occasional 'hi' over facebook or a random conversation on Skype, but you look forward to seeing them again and catching up. They still mean something and maybe, in a funny sort of way, they always will.
   Basically, a lot of classmates come to mind.


5.The One You Talk To Rarely: These friends can be sub-divided into two parts.

A) The Type 5 Part A friend is someone you talk to rarely but when you do talk, you catch up on absolutely everything. 
For example, Jahnavi J and Rohini.

B) The Type 5 Part B friend is someone you talk to rarely and when you do finally talk, it's awkard because a lot of time has passed and neither of you are in the same place anymore. And there's nothing you can do about it.
I don't think I'm going to tell you who belongs here.


6. The One You've Lost Complete Touch With: Again, these friends can be sub-divided into two parts:

A) You miss this friend with all your heart.

B) You don't miss this friend. At all.

Again, I don't think I'm going to reveal the people I've shoved into the above categories. I don't have a handkerchief on me.
(Joke).


7. The One You Want To Lose Complete Touch With: But they just won't LET you. So annoying. Unless they feel that you're a Type 6 Part A friend. In which case it's sad (for them). And sad for you, because it's quite probable that your Type 6 Part A friend considers you a Type 7 friend. Re-read this carefully if it doesn't make sense because it should.


8. The Stalker: I decided to give this person his own category. Pretty self explanatory and similar to the One You Want To Lose Complete Touch With. The difference lies in the degree- and let me emphasise that it's the difference between a nice, warm afternoon bath (with bubbles) and dying of severe burns in the ICU. A word of advice, don't ever accidentally give your number to a random South African student you met outside a metro station. Especially if they're carrying a Bible in their pocket and offer to teach you how to cook. I should also make it clear that this type of friend is not a friend, this type is a potential rapist/murderer. You really shouldn't keep in touch with them.


9. The Rest: I had to shove them in somewhere. These include various family members who you're mildly fond of, acquaintances you neither like nor dislike and basically everyone else who just doesn't fit into Types 1 to 8. I suppose these people just shouldn't be classified Keeper In Touchers but the fact is, you are in touch with them. You just don't know how or why and that's okay because if you did, they wouldn't be in this category.


Anyway, Tanu's on Skype now and I'm going to go and talk to her. We'll both be home for Christmas soon- everybody will- and so neither of us will have to be a Keep In Toucher, at least for a while.