At times you become friends in extraordinary circumstances with the most unexpected people . For many, the pandemic has led to new bonds of friendship being created. From chit-chatting and playing games from their balconies to providing essentials to the sick and needy while practising self isolation and social distancing , neigbours have become the new BFFs.
Prerna Malhotra, resident of Ashok Vihar, has all plans set to celebrate Friendship Day in a “socially distant” way.
“I started interacting with my neighbours over a game of Tambola and then we were playing everyday. We all used to come to our balconies and one person used to call out the numbers on mike. We created a WhatsApp group and it has become a routine for us now. Now some of us even do video calls and entertain ourselves. We cannot go out anywhere on Friendship Day but we plan to play antakshari, tambola, while enjoying food and drinks from our respective balconies,” she says.
The pandemic has led to people becoming more social with their neighbours. “I am a final year student and due to my busy schedule, I never got the time to connect with people around me.During this time, I got to know a lot of my neighbours and I could so easily bond with them. I made a new friend who lives next to my house and we started having conversations about academics and career paths, which is very comforting for me. Initially, the conversations used to be about the pandemic and increasing number of cases but gradually we started sharing thoughts about career goals and academics. I will make sure that we meet and exchange friendship band,” says, Harshiti Bharti, resident of Shastri Nagar.
Echoing similar sentiments, Ankita Singh , resident of Malviya Nagar, says, “ Due to my work schedule, I never had a chance to know many people in my building. After the lockdown was imposed, a WhatsApp group was created for interaction. Through that group, we used to also check on the elderly people and their needs. I happened to connect personally with a few elderly people in my society and it felt really good. Singing old songs together and participating in various group games led to the creation of new friendships during this time.”
