“How long do friendships usually last? about seven years. Research shows that most of us replace our friends, intentionally or not, fairly often. Live Science says that "when it comes to your close friends, you lose about half and replace them with new ones after about seven years."

The above are not my words. It is from the internet page ‘lifeaboutdotcom.’

Well, I don’t endorse or consider them as Gospel Truth. But, life has taught me a lot about relationships and friends. Now, after seeing how the waves of life take one to different places and levels, friendships also keep changing, moving, vanishing at times reappear and vanish also.

Why?

When I tried to meet two of my school buddies when I was in post graduation it turned out to be a failure. They became reticent to talk. Same happened with college mates also. My close friends in college for 5 years and some 7 years moved away in silence. I too take the blame as I never tried to track them. A few years back one of my classmates tried to bring the old friends of our batch together but I honestly didn’t fit in the group. I think I have changed. Earlier, I met a person next to my roll number in class who couldn't even recognize me when I met him.

Then my office colleagues and friends. Again except a few, most of them are busy with their families and personal lives. I am happy that at least a few of them remember me and call whenever possible. But, what is the subject matter? Nothing much except exchanging pleasantries. Unless we are on the same page, no friendship endures.

My students with whom I shared great camaraderie for long also drifted away in life because of their own profession, position and personal lives.

Life is like a running river; it doesn’t stop anywhere. It is like a train journey, where each one of us gets down on reaching our destination. There are no possibilities of meeting again; even if we meet, one cannot expect the same bond, energy or enthusiasm.

Seven years is the optimum time as mentioned in the article. Some may continue and many break. It is no blame game; it is a bitter or sweet truth as we take it.