The True Meaning of Friendship

Raju and Mohan were childhood friends. They grew up in the same village and were practically inseparable. Their bond was so strong that people often quote their friendship as an example. Raju came from a very poor family but had immense self-respect and always believed in working hard to fulfill his dreams. Mohan comes from a wealthy family and has everything he wants in life. But these differences never hampered their friendship.

One day, a big fair came to their village, and they planned to go to it together. They passed the whole day with merry sounds and sights. Raju saw a small toy to which he would have very much wished. However, there was not enough money for him to buy it. But Mohan could sense that his friend was looking at the same toy and therefore bought it without even a second thought. A small action by Mohan made Raju feel very sensitive to his kindness.

Years went by, and they both finished their education. Soon Mohan's family moved to the city. Though miles apart now, both of them were in good contact. With the passage of time, Mohan went on to build a successful career and began working in one of the big firms in the city. On his part, Raju set up a small shop in the village and was happy with the simplicity of his life.

Mohan's father fell seriously ill and required immediate surgery, for which he had the money; there was no one to look towards in such a time of crisis. In his utter distress he called his childhood friend, Raju, and elaborated the whole situation to him. He listened to it all attentively and, without any second thoughts, sold his small shop raising the maximum amount of money and sending it all to Mohan. Mohan was speechless; he could never have imagined Raju would be able to sacrifice so much for him.

The surgery was a success, and the father slowly began to recover. Mohan had decided to go to his village to thank his friend personally for that good deed and seek a way to repay him in some manner. He reached to find that Raju's shop had been sold and that he was now doing odd jobs to sustain himself. That made him feel profoundly grateful and guilt-prone. He invited Raju to come and live with him in the city.

Initially, Raju declined since he loved his village much. However, Mohan convinced him that there would be better opportunities in the city. He agreed to move to the city, and Mohan found him a good job at his own company.

Raju's sincerity and hard work made him the respected member of the company soon. It stabilized his life, and he started enjoying and being happy in the new surroundings. Through all this, Mohan never gave a feeling that he owes something to him or he is doing some favor to him. The friendship is strong and true.

Both friends took time to build their families, but their friendship stays as solid as ever.

This is the lesson taught by this story. This is that true friendship is there when people are at each other's side during tough times without expecting anything in return. The friendship between Raju and Mohan teaches us that friendship is priceless and based on selfless love and support.