There’s once a little girl. She loves her little yellow frock. She loves to giggle and play all day with her other friends – little girls (just like her).  Chat, chat, chat all day long, can go on and on.

Over the years these little girls’ grow. They widen their network – high school, college, first job. The excitement of sharing new crush or the first hangover. The highs of getting your first job or the lows of getting ditched. All these, she shares with these girls.

There’s a whole new world to explore, the excitement of the youth and the whole wide world is your oyster. These are the carefree times. Living the innocence. The happy moments, if you are fortunate.

And then the little girl is not so little anymore. The little girl grows up and enters the wide fast paced world with wonder in her eyes. This moment she has  been waiting all her life. New job, life away from nagging parents, world of fashion and independence. A beautiful world of your own creation. A new life.  But this beauty comes at its own price, she soon realises.

Not everyone is as lovely as she initially thought. False rumours, financial troubles, jealousies and cat calls to name just the few. So, the little girl starts building layers around her. Tiny layers, to find her footing in this wide world- the world, that she loves so much. Layers upon layers to keep herself protected. She feels like a warrior. She has understood this game, she thinks. At times, she is an ace player herself. Other’s, still learning the game.

Soon, she is drowning in these layers, totally unaware.

Occasionally, she feels claustrophobic, but she keeps moving. This is the expectation from her, she knows. She cannot be a loser. She’s never a loser. Always a fighter.

Over these years of layering and fighting and drowning, there’s  one constant this “not so little girl” has had. Her group of girls ( who are “not so little” anymore) , who’ve been with her , through thick and thin. Her flag bearers.  Those deep bonds that she was fortunate to form, before the layers were built. These girls are well aware of those layers. For they have some of their own. She  might not recognise it. But they do. And they see her through these layers and go beyond it. They hold her down. They take her out of shame and guilt. They take her to the roots and are not scared of uprooting her. They give the best hang over. Or the best soup. Whatever her soul needs.

They know the best cure.

This not so little girl knows these bonds are cherished. It has taken her a while to know the sacredness of these bonds, but now she does.

Not everyone is fortunate to have these bonds. She’s blessed.

If you have a bond like this. Know that you are fortunate and very lucky. Cultivate this bond.

For bonds like these, only grows finer with age. Stronger. Deeper.

For every little girl out there, I hope you find this kind of bond and cherish it through your life.

This bond has a very special place in my heart.

Time and again, this bond have empowered me.

For all my “not so little girls” I love you and truly cherish you. Thank you for being in my life.