In love with a stranger?

Take One:

Its 6.45am. My alarm rings and I lay motionless trying hard to decipher what all this noise is about. Its un-necessarily bright, the sky. And I suddenly remember I have an interview to go to, a difference to make in my life. I make a decision to travel by the local train today, though I always use the road. It’s a quick logical and well measured choice. And I was there sitting in a second class compartment of a smelly, crowded Andheri Local on a Bright Sunday morning. That is where i met the stranger.

He caught my eye when he was selling a bunch of earrings to a lady, further away from my seat. While he stood next to her, eager to make a sale, He Yawned. He rubbed his eyes and and looked away. And that's when he looked at me. I shifted my gaze, but not quickly enough. He gestured if i wanted to pick one earring from his tray. And i said okay.

Take two:

He hands me the tray.

Me: Ek ka Kitna?

Him: 10 rupees only!

Me: (While my head is still buried into his tray) Do you go to School?

Him: yes.

Me: kahaan hai school?

Him: Andhra Pradesh main.

Me: ( smile) very good. Kaunsa class main hai tu?

Him: 3^rd Std.

Im stunned. Mentally I am trying to quickly think of what’s the age of a 3^rd Standard kid? I don’t know 5, 6? Boys his age must be tucked up safely in their warm beds and wake up to a hot fresh breakfast and run out to play. What time did he actually wake up today morning? Does he have a comfortable place to stay. He interrupted my thoughts.

He: Yeh earring lo, accha hai.

Me: Nai. I don’t like it.

A lady sitting besides me vacates the seat. I gesture him to come sit next to me. He doesn’t hesitate. I buy 2 earrings, not that i like them.

Take Three

He: Where are you going?

Me: I’m going for an interview.

He: what is that?

Me: If u want a job, you need to meet people from the place and show them that you can work for them.

He: what will u work in?

Me: Teaching.

(Meanwhile women around me in the train are intently listening to the conversation)

He: How many children you have?

(The crowd around bursts laughing-They can’t control their urge to snigger at the innocent question of a kid)

He: No, No..i meant class main kitney bacchey hain.

His need to correct himself on what he meant, almost felt like he wasn’t happy about making me feel embarrassed. I was a little embarrassed( given that im a little touchy about getting older by the years).

The bond was established now. As he sat staring outside the window, but still sitting closer to me on the bench, I was wondering what the silence between us meant.

We sat there for a long time. With just Silence between us.

He: Do they have a telugu school in mumbai?

Me: i don’t know, i don’t think so. You get good marks in school na?

He: mereko A+ mila in mathematics( he pronounced the entire word) and English main. ( with a sheepish smile) and my friend got B+ J

He walked away and came back with an English Alphabet book. While i looked at his entire family (1 sister, mother, 2 brothers) on the boarding area of the train. He showed off how well he new alphabets and words.

The train Pulled into Santacruz station. 

He left and stood at the door to get off.

I looked at him and waved. He waved back.

On the station as the train moved on, the tracks changed. And so did we.

Walk on the Water

Little Faith.

I always hoped. I hoped in hope.

When the sun did not shine, for the clouds to subside

When the tears never stopped, for the cheer to pass me by

When the love was lost, to find a new, better one

When the hope was lost, to revive it again.

I hoped again. And this time I hoped in the one to whom hope belongs.

When the sun did not shine, the clouds subsided and the rainbow came

When the tears never stopped, cheer came by and stopped before me.

When the love was lost, at the right time it arrived.

When the hope was lost, He revived it again.

Study your current life situation. Pay attention and understand where you are, what place you are in your job. Or in terms of your family status, your health, your finances, romantic love life? Or anything that you currently are happy about.  Can you connect the dots? Do you ever feel that whatever led you to this consequence in the past was meant to be. All those failures and successes of the past are exactly what led you to what you have today?

You wouldn’t have had the job you have today, hadn’t you been rejected for a few job interviews in the past. You might have never ever met the love of your life, hadn’t you broken up with all those girls in the past( or the other way round),think of all those who you thought were mean, and you had differences with. So If you haven’t yet had your share of happiness, your share of the ‘ive made it!’ moment, its not over yet. The dots haven’t been joined and the picture is yet to take shape. Because when it will, everything will make sense.

And what takes us and strengthens us in these ‘I want it so badly – Cant have it yet- this is perfect- I’ve lost this- nothing makes sense-to a wow! This is finally making sense’ moment?

Faith.

Before you guffaw and run through this post with the exact opposite feeling of disbelief and distrust, let me stop you just for ONE moment. Do you think FAITH is difficult to sustain? What if you see no signs from the Universe or GOD or the super power , that life will get better. Your ridiculously irrational Boss and your pathetically selfish co-workers are making your life miserable and the job sites refuse to throw up a job that pays you well and respects the skill you think are rusting at your current place of work?

Can someone sustain Faith when, right from valentine’s day cards to product commercials to Chick flicks and Sitcoms are ALL blaring with smiling couples staring at you with a hint of sympathy and proclaiming to the world how ‘True love’ has redeemed their lives.

I don’t think Ill be out of the line if I say, YES. You know why? Because Faith comes naturally to us. God put it there, because he wanted us to believe and Believing is everything. BELIEVING IS EVERYTHING.

‘Having Faith’ is one of the few things God taught us when we were made alive. Have you ever observed a child? If you haven’t, please go out,, go meet a friend’s kid, if you don’t have one of your own. Go out, go to an orphanage. And just talk to them. Play and read out stories. And they will teach you what Faith is all about. Toss them up in the air and for a brief second look at them when you wait for them to fall back into your hands.

Name that emotion in their eyes. And name that emotion causing a flutter in your inners.   

I hope you’ll find the answer.