The Hug

I'm more of a hug person than someone who enjoys kisses. I think I got married because I wanted someone I could cuddle with and fall asleep beside. We still cuddle whenever we can, though it isn't a daily habit because our little one insists on sleeping between us. A hug makes us feel secure. A hug reassures us. A hug speaks all the words we fail to say. The most beautiful hug I've ever received was from one of my oldest friends. Our friendship is almost as old as we are. We met when we were just a year old. We grew up together, and because our families were close, he was never just a friend—he was family. Many times, I felt that God had given me a twin in him. Life seemed to move us in parallel. Our first heartbreaks, financial struggles, identity crises—we experienced so many milestones at the same time, like two waves travelling side by side. After college, both of us went through our first major breakups. I was drowning in my own heartbreak. He was carrying his. I couldn't be the listener or the shoulder he needed because I was barely holding myself together. Slowly, our conversations faded. A heavy fog settled between us. I knew how much he meant to me, and his silence hurt more than I could explain. I poured my pain into words. He buried his in silence. For a while, I truly believed I had lost him. One day, his parents came to visit our home, and he came along. I asked him to meet me on the staircase so we could talk. I asked him what was happening and why he was ignoring me. He looked at me and quietly said, "It wasn't me. You ignored me." The conversation became emotional. My eyes filled with tears. He was sitting on the floor while I sat on the table. Unable to continue, I jumped down and turned to leave. Before I could take another step, he stood up and hugged me tight. "I need time, Paru," he whispered. "It's not about you. It's about me. I need time to process my grief. That's how I heal. You know me." His voice trembled as he spoke. In that moment, everything became clear. That hug carried understanding, forgiveness, reassurance, and love. It reminded me that family isn't always defined by blood. Sometimes, the deepest bonds are the ones life quietly gifts us. To this day, that remains the most beautiful hug I have ever received.