An Imperfect Life-partner

"Finally, I have found someone for myself. I am very happy", said the girl as they walked down the street.

The girl and the boy had been friends since high school. The boy had a crush upon her since the first day of school. The boy even expressed his feelings several times and the girl gently turned him down. She liked his friendship and so in spite of hindrances she maintained the friendship with him.

"I am happy for you", replied the boy in a soft and broken voice. He didn't have any moisture in his eyes, yet it was not able to maintain the joyfulness.

"I owe you a treat. Tell me where do you want a treat?" asked the happy girl.

"What was so wrong about me?"

"I don't like you. That's it."

"Why? You like my company but you are not ready to accept me as my boyfriend. Why is it so?" asked the confused boy.

"You cannot decide your life partner just because you like his company. He need's to be a complete man."

"What's incomplete in me?"

"You see a man is known by the company he keeps. I hate your friends. They are so badly dressed. They wear the same pair of jeans for weeks thinking it might go unnoticed. They are into brawls every now and then and surprisingly most of the times it is for others. They still need to grow up."

"You didn't accept me because of my friends?"

"You are a good guy but he is better. I can blindly trust that he shall keep me happy all throughout his life. He earns good, has a nice apartment, keeps travelling across metros and is always surrounded by good company. By good company I mean to say people who are properly dressed with suit and live a gentle life."

"I had bought something for you but now I think it won't be of any use to you" said the boy.

"What did you bring?"

The boy pulled out a diamond ring from his pocket.

"Please don't make it difficult for me. Please don't propose", said the girl.

"I won't. I gave up the idea of proposing you when you said that you have found out the life partner for you."

"It looks expensive."

"Yeah I saved an entire months salary for it" smiled the boy as he said it.

"It looks more than your months salary."

"Obviously it is. The rest is paid by those friends whom you hate so much. I just announced that I was planning to propose you and they collected the money. I hesitated to collect the money but they insisted a lot. They selected this ring."

"Are you serious?"

"Yes I am. It might be true that I am an imperfect life-partner but I am surrounded by perfect company. Fatso earned his livelihood by giving guitar lessons to the school kids and that idiot sold his guitar for this ring. Sam was saving for a Royal Enfield but he broke a part of his savings. I am lucky to have them. You please keep the ring or they shall be hurt. I will keep my friends. I look best in their company."