International
Friendship Day is an occasion to celebrate our friends and friendships. This is
a story of two Pakistani men who were best friends. But then, their friendship
ended. And from the ashes of that relationship rose a phoenix-like meme, the ‘Friendship
ended with…’.

The meme has found
use across cultures and geographies and have been used to talk about difficult
geopolitical events, Donald Trump, democracy and the cruelest breakups.

On International
Friendship Day, this meme is going up for NFL auction and will join a hallowed
category of memes that fetch large sums. The minimum bid price for the meme is
1 Ethereum token or $2,320.     

The birth of
the meme

In 2015, a man
named Asif, from Gujranwala put up a Facebook post announcing his severing of
ties with his best friend Mudasir. Asif also introduced his new best friend
Salman.

The post read: “Friendship
ended with Mudasir, now Salman is my best friend”. Asif further declared, “I
declare that I left my past best friend Mudasir_Ismail_Ahmed.” And why did Asif
break up this friendship? It was because Mudasir had become very “selfish” and “proudy”,
Asif’s post read.

Thus, was born
this viral meme that came to be used to any and every change in relationship.   

Things fall apart

While the Facebook
post turned into a meme and became an icon on the cultural landscape of social
media conversation, Mudasir, the person with whom said friendship was ended,
was understandably angered with such a public washing of dirty linen.

Also Read | Friendship Day: Things not to say when you catch up with an old friend

Mudasir complained
to Asif’s brother about the Facebook post. Mudasir’s grudge was how Asif did
not cross his face but only his chest, in the viral post. This began another
round of trouble. In another Facebook post, Asif called Mudasir “cheap” for
making an issue out of nothing because he believed his only goal was “Peace,
Love and Friendship”.

Also Read | Friendship Day 2021: Wishes, quotes to celebrate friendship

As things
stand

Speaking about the
NFT auction of the viral meme, Asif told The Print, “I was just upset with
Mudasir and wanted to convey to him how I felt.” The duo that gave the world a
way to express straining of relationships have however resumed their friendship.