Saman, Behnam, and Aria
Translated from the original Persian post. Images, if present, are from that post or thread.
Saman, Behnam, and Aria were three friends who had lived and grown up together for years.
One day Behnam and Aria clashed badly. They fought, then fell out with each other.
It got so bad that they overturned the table of friendship and told Saman, “It’s over. Now you have to choose: Behnam or Aria. The other one leaves the group.”
Saman said nothing.
Behnam shouted, “Well? Say something. Is it that hard?”
“Yes,” Saman said. “It’s hard.
“It’s hard because I’ve never known our friendship as something I had alone. Because we’ve never been together with one of us missing.
“Because I can’t remember, and I don’t know, what it feels like to be without a companion.
“Until today, I didn’t know friendship was something you chose. I thought it lived in the heart.
“I’ve never known what it is to walk with Aria without laughing with Behnam.
“I’ve never had a fight with someone and found a way to speak my mind and get through it without knowing Behnam and Aria had my back.
“It’s hard because until today I had only learned to make allowances for each other, not to pass each other by.
“Until today I lived with you beside me. I’ve never had to live with only memories of you.
“Hard, isn’t it?”
Then Saman asked, “So you tell me: shall we stay together and stand behind each other, or turn our backs on all the years we’ve shared?”
…
Friendship deserves respect, my friend…