Are Pictures Important for Remembrance?

Some Friends Never Leave — They Live Inside Us Forever!

From the Desk of Rakesh Kushwaha

Part 1: The Happy and Golden Days of Childhood

Some friendships are written by destiny — not to fade, but to live forever in the quiet corners of our hearts.

Today, I write with a heavy heart, remembering my dearest childhood friend, Nazaruddin — my Nazzu.

He wasn’t just my classmate; he was my shadow through all the seasons of school life.

We began our journey together from Grade 1 to 5 in Government Primary Pathshala, Godha (1976–1981), continued Grade 6 to 8 in Shree Swami Adwetanand Purn Madhyamik Vidyalaya, Godha, Aligarh (1981–1984), then moved to S.B.P. Inter College, Bahlolpur, Bulandshahr (1984–1986), and finally completed our Intermediate in Science (1986–1988) from S.Y.M. Inter College, Sheikhupur Chondhera, Bulandshahr.

That was more than friendship — it was a journey of growing up together, from slates to pens, from innocence to understanding life.

What made our friendship truly beautiful was its purity beyond religion.

Faith was never a wall between us.

He freely visited inside my home; I went inside his.

We knew every corner of each other’s houses — and of each other’s hearts.

Our bond was simple, sincere, and selfless — one that no label could ever define.

His Courage and Smile

Life tested him early. At just eight or nine, Nazzu lost his right arm after a fall from a tree led to a wrong operation. But he never let his spirit break.

He started writing with his left hand and within months, his handwriting became beautiful — even better than before.

That was his strength — to smile through pain and turn loss into lesson.

Once, when we were crossing a nearby village called Denholm, a few children started shouting teasingly —

“Arey dekho! tontaa jaa raha hai!”

(“Look, the one-armed boy is passing!”)

I still remember the embarrassment I felt. But Nazzu smiled calmly and said,

“Arey jaane de yaar, bachche hain.”

(“Let it go, they’re just kids.”)

That was him — a man of grace, forgiveness, and rare composure. His heart was bigger than any wound life gave him.

Moments That Stayed Forever

There was a night after our Class 12 Chemistry board practical, when it got too late to return home.

The road to our village wasn’t safe, so we decided to stay overnight at a common friend’s house.

Both our families were worried. Early morning, as we walked back, my father met us midway — he had set out searching for me because my mother couldn’t sleep all night.

That moment — the morning mist, the relief on my father’s face, and Nazzu’s calm presence beside me — still glows in my memory like dawn after darkness.

For my first ten years in Mumbai, I usually traveled to my native place only for occasions, weddings, or festivals.

But after my younger brother’s health issues and later my father’s fragile health, I began visiting more often — sometimes twice a year, and at least once a year without fail.

And every time, I met Nazzu.

Sometimes he came home to meet my parents, sometimes I went to see him.

No visit ever felt complete without that meeting.

Even after long tiring days, he would call and say —

“Rakesh bhai, video dekha aapka… bahut accha laga.”

He watched my motivational videos with such affection and pride. Our bond stayed the same — pure, honest, and deeply human.

Part 2: Are Pictures Important for Remembrance?

A year before his passing, I met him one last time.

We talked, we smiled, and as always, I forgot to take a photograph.

Today, that missing photo feels like a blank page in the album of my heart.

It makes me wonder — are photographs truly necessary to preserve memories?

Maybe yes — they capture faces.

But our hearts capture souls.

My friendship with Nazzu never needed pictures to prove it existed.

His laughter, courage, and simplicity are etched within me forever.

Some friends never leave — they simply move inward, finding a permanent corner in our being.

Takeaway

💫 True friendship knows no religion — it speaks only the language of love.

💫 Some memories don’t need a camera; they live forever in our souls.

💫 The purest bonds are selfless — they need no proof, only presence.

In Loving Memory of My Childhood Friend, Nazaruddin (Nazzu)

You may have left the world, my friend, but you live on in my heart — always smiling, always gentle.

Om Shanti 🙏🏻