5Years
NIAMAT SINGH AND SHIVANI NIRULA
From being arch rivals to bosom buddies, Shivani and Niamat, both 20, have come a long way. Wading through the usual fights and misunderstandings, the girls have learnt to rise above their differences. And love and respect for each other isn’t the only thing in common; music brought them closer too. In fact, behind their jibes at each other lies a deep emotional bond.
From walking around school and singing out loud to spending hours getting ready for night-outs and sharing both legal and illegal experiments, the duo has been inseparable since the time they met in the 9th grade.
“She was the first out of us who experimented, while the rest of us just kind off stood in awe of her guts,” Niamat begins. Shivani protests with a laugh, “That is so not how it happened. She was the first to ‘grow up’! She had the first boyfriend, and we were all living her relationship for one year.”
Niamat remembers one of these few fights they’ve had, on a school trip to Gwalior. “Apparently, I told her she was ugly (which I still swear I never did). She was so furious that she asked a boy I had a crush on to tell me how ugly I was in front of everybody. I was so embarrassed, I don’t think I spoke to her for weeks.”
“Shivani is deceivingly innocent,” reveals Niamat. “And she squeaks when she talks, I call her Squeak (which she hates). But she is thoughtful, resilient, stable, hugely creative and generous. She is fit, has amazing hair and doesn’t eat enough. But she won’t sleep in the same bed with me because I kick and cuddle and steal the blankets.”
Shivani retorts, “I think a lot and she doesn’t at all. She has absolutely no hang-ups in life. She loves talking, is self-obsessed and very dramatic, most times for nothing. But that’s so Nia, and it’s what I love about her.”
With Niamat studying in Scotland, Shivani misses “being around one of the funniest people I know”. Life is a little dull without her “but she doesn’t seem to care”. She knows they will be great friends even when they are grannies.