A Story of Friendship

Painting of Molomi Langthasa from Assam by Jyotiranjan Gudia

It was the year 2014 and I was in my first year of +3, studying Political Science Honours at Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS). One morning, after having tiffin - which usually consisted of flattened rice, jaggery and banana - I was returning to my hostel room when suddenly a rose touched my foot. Looking down, I saw a beautiful rose lying beneath me. As I picked it up, my close friend Pradeep Soren teasingly said, "Friend, today you're going to meet someone special. Otherwise, why would such a lovely rose come to only you and not to any of us?" Smiling at his words and holding the rose in my hand, I quietly walked back to my room, wondering about the strange coincidence.

At that time, our classes used to start early, at 7:30 AM. After returning to my room, I quickly got ready and rushed to our college building, which was a large structure situated right in front of our hostel. As I was climbing the stairs of the college building one by one, I noticed a few girls walking ahead of me. While ascending the stairs, I spotted a three-rupee disposable pen lying on one of the steps. As I bent down to pick it up, a girl named Sabitri Munda, who was walking just ahead, turned to me and said, “Jyoti bhai, the pen you picked up belongs to the girl from Assam. She had it in her hand but didn't realize when it fell.” I immediately handed the pen over to the Assamese girl. She smiled at me gratefully and walked away happily.

Poster Painting of Jyotiranjan Gudia, 2014.

At that time, I had gained popularity in our college for my painting skills. I used to create various kinds of artworks and display them on the college walls. One day, I painted a beautiful picture and wrote an Odia poem artistically on it, which I posted on the college notice board. Everyone started talking about it, wondering who the student was who had drawn so well and written with such grace. Some senior students of our college came to meet me, curious to know from which district I came and how I could draw and write so beautifully. Eventually, the news reached our Odia lecturer, Dr. Nibedita Mohanty. Someone told her that there was a first-year student who not only painted well but also wrote beautifully with a brush. Madam came searching for me, met me and invited me to work with her on various drawings and poems. From that day on, we collaborated on many artistic and poetic projects together.

One day, while I was sitting in my classroom studying, no teacher had come that day, so the class was relatively quiet. During that time, two girls came up to me and said, "Jyoti Bhai, the girl from Assam wants to talk to you, can you give us your phone number?" I tore a small piece of paper from my notebook and wrote down my number for them. Interestingly, that Assam girl had already found all my details and phone number from Facebook. They just wanted to confirm it directly from me.

That evening around 7:30 pm, I received a call from an unknown number and I picked it up. The voice on the other side said in Hindi, “Mere sath dosti karoge? Mera koi dost bhi nahi hai, bahut taklif ho raha hai jab kuch bhi saman jarurat hota hai to.” I couldn’t understand much at first- someone was speaking in Hindi and asking for friendship. When I asked, “Aap kaun baat kar rahe ho?” the voice replied, “Main Assam se bol raha hoon.” I responded with, “Oh!” and the caller continued, “Mujhe tumhare baare mein sab kuch pata hai. Tumhara naam Jyoti hai, tum achha se painting karte ho. Mujhe itna batado, tum mujhse dosti karoge ki nahi?” I said, “Thik hai, accha wala dosti karunga, prayer wala nahi.” Soon after, it was dinner time, so we ended the call and went to eat. That night, I couldn’t sleep. I kept wondering who that girl was- I barely knew her, yet she wanted to be friends. After dinner, I checked Facebook and saw a friend request notification. When I clicked it, it was from a girl named Molomi Langthasa. I accepted the request and browsed through her photos. One of them stood out to me- it was so beautiful that I downloaded it and spent that night painting it.

Sketch of Molomi Langthasa
by Jyotiranjan Gudia in 2014.

Every morning, I would carry a sketch I had drawn the night before and give it to her when we met in college. She would smile, look at it happily and ask, “How are you? Have you eaten? Don’t talk to anyone else, only to me,” before leaving the class. From that day, our friendship grew stronger with time. For three years, we shared a beautiful bond based on mutual respect and understanding-meeting daily in class, bringing small things for each other and spending time together even outside regular lectures. People around us admired our connection, often calling us a perfect example of true friendship, though some mistook it for love. But our relationship was never romantic- we simply cared deeply for one another. Throughout those three years, we studied, ate and played together, always treating each other with sincerity, never taking advantage. I always tried my best to preserve that genuine bond.

Painting of Molomi Langthasa
in 2017 by Jyotiranjan Gudia.

When we reached our +3 third year, she told me one day that I should make a beautiful painting for her. She said she would keep it at her home and every time she looked at it, she would remember me. I kept her words and spent two months slowly creating that painting, which depicted her wearing the traditional Assamese saree. On her birthday, I gifted it to her and she was deeply moved. She even sent me a heartfelt video message, which I still treasure. While painting this artwork sitting amidst the nature at Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS), I felt a joy I have never experienced anywhere else in life. Many tears fell from my eyes as I painted, feeling it might be the last painting I would ever create with such dedication. During those moments, I felt as if someone dear was slowly moving away from my life, causing a pain I couldn’t express to anyone. I never took a single photo with her, but in my heart, I painted an image of us sitting together, lost in conversation. I have shared that picture below. I always wished for one last chance to sit together and talk, but that opportunity never came. When she was leaving Bhubaneswar to return to her homeland Assam, she gave me a shirt, which I kept safe for many days. I wanted to wear it, but she told me to keep it for myself. The day I saw her off at the train station, I couldn’t give her anything in return, which hurt me deeply. Before leaving Bhubaneswar, she told me that she would focus on her studies and marriage in the future and I never thought about any romantic relationship with her. Though we spent three beautiful years together as close friends, I never proposed love because I was already committed to another girl named Kuni. Before she came to Bhubaneswar, I had promised Kuni that if I ever got married, I would tell her first. Looking back, those years of friendship taught me the true meaning of respect, care and deep connection beyond love. Even today, those memories inspire me to value genuine relationships and cherish the bonds that shape our lives.

Watercolour painting of Molomi Langthasa and
Jyotiranjan Gudia in 2016.

Sometimes, love doesn't start with grand gestures- it begins with a glance, a shared silence, or a rose given with trembling hands.

✍️ 1. Expression matters.

The boy chose to express his feelings through a drawing. Even a small act of creativity can carry deep emotions. Love often finds a way to speak, even without words.

😔 2. Unspoken love can be the most powerful.

The pain of not being able to say "I love you" is real and relatable. Many people hold love in their hearts but never find the courage or the right time to express it.

💔 3. Memories stay even when people leave.

The story captures the feeling of longing and how some moments and faces stay in our minds forever- even when they become just a memory.

🧠 4. Love is not always about being together.

Sometimes love is about appreciating someone from a distance, valuing the moment they entered your life and learning to live with their absence.