The Seat Beside Us

Date: 10/09/2026
All rights reserved by the author

There are people with whom silence never feels uncomfortable.
You can sit beside them without searching for something clever to say.
The conversation may stop.
The room may become quiet.
And yet, nothing feels missing.
I think that is one of the nicest things about growing close to someone.
In the beginning, we often try hard to fill every silence. We tell stories. Ask questions. Look for the right words.
But with certain people, eventually, we stop performing.
We simply become ourselves.
Perhaps that is why some friendships survive long gaps.
You may not meet for months.
Then you sit together again, and after a few minutes, the distance seems to disappear.
No explanations are required.
No formal beginning.
Just two people returning to a familiar space.
Life gives us many acquaintances.
But only a few people give us that rare comfort—the feeling that we do not have to be interesting every minute.
Sometimes it is enough simply to have someone sitting beside us.
And somehow, that makes the world feel less crowded and less lonely at the same time.

Rajat Chandra Sarmah
Guwahati, Assam, India
Email: rajatchandrasarmah@gmail.com
YouTube: Converse With A Smile