Friendship Day Special: My mosquito aka Devaprabha

By Preeti Mittal

It’s a casual day, just like any other noon. I returned to my room, the place I’ve chosen to call ‘my home’ here in Gurugram. I’ve had a long and tiring journey, it felt like an eternity, traveling all the way from my home in Tamil Nadu to Bangalore and Delhi this morning. I’m feeling a bit under the weather for the past few days, and today is the peak of it all.

To pass the time, I watched some Sci-Fi shows, read my novel, took a shower, and even danced a little by myself, but nothing seemed to lift my spirits. Feeling bored, I started scrolling through my phone and stumbled upon a document I had saved long ago. As I opened the document, a sad-smile formed on my lips, and my eyes teared up with nostalgia. Memories rushed back from years ago when I was just 12, starting in a new school, feeling out of place among my schoolmates who seemed mean. But then, I noticed this girl with spectacles, braiding her extremely silky, long hair like Rapunzel’s. It only took one glance to know that she was an innocent and sweet girl in this cruel world. (PS: I felt less ‘out of place’ knowing her.) Not the best judgment, I know.

Fast forward two years later, I randomly blurted out my feelings towards a guy to her, out of nowhere. It was weird, I know, but that weirdness led to the beginning of a beautiful friendship. She became my best friend, my soulmate. It’s been six years and counting since then, and while we’re in a long-distance friendship now, we manage to meet once every six months for a few hours.

There was a time during the pandemic when schools were closed, and that was when we got even closer. We created a notebook together called the “feelings note,” in which we wrote various songs and sang them out loud secretly during self-study hours. I love hearing her sing, which is why I’d sing those songs in the worst slang and tune possible, just to make her sing instead, as she couldn’t bear to hear my “melodious” voice. I know, it’s funny and sad at the same time.

The document I mentioned earlier contains photos of the notebook, and every time I see it, I can’t help but feel nostalgic and smile. I could go on and on about her; she’s truly special to me. We are two opposite poles, completely different from each other, yet we share an incredibly strong connection. It’s as if we’re connected by an invisible thread. I’m not exaggerating when I say that I’ve never felt this way with anyone else before. This beautiful soul’s name is Devaprabha, but I affectionately call her my “Mosquito” because she never leaves me alone and is always there with me, no matter how far I go. She is the reason I believe in not only friendship but in pure souls too. I genuinely mean it when I say I would take a bullet for my girl.

This is “Mosquito” (with spectacles and short hair) and me (the one with the big nose).