2015 was an eye-opener of
sorts. I learnt three important
lessons from people belonging to different age groups this year.
Children
On a train to Bandra, I
heard him whisper to the boy on his right, 'Ek gora ladka tere paas khada hai!'
I looked awkwardly at him, while he smiled looking at me. Throughout the
journey, I saw him whisper into the other boy's ears, while the latter acknowledged
it with a pompous smile.
News of people around, of
a man wearing too much perfume, of a kid carrying an expensive handset, and he
would snicker every time. Sometimes he made up stuff like, 'Bas woh choti
nikaal do, toh yeh toh pura ganja hai!', and laughed ecstatically.
I observed them for half
an hour and wondered why they did this. I figured he was visually
challenged and hence his friend was telling him about the happenings around.
As the train reached
Andheri station, the boy stood up with the support of a white cane; he was the
one who whispered into the other boy's ear.
Life is full of miracles
Adults
Just another afternoon, I was eating dosa from one of the food
stalls outside my college and as I passed the usual garbage dumpster that I do
daily, I saw a man in rags, with a wrinkled face and sunken eyes, peek inside
the bin, his crouched back crouching even more. The veins on his wrist were
popping out, almost like they were attempting to hold on to the bin, while his
eyes searched through the filth.
He rummaged through the rubbish, and pulled out a half-eaten
banana, a paper plate full of spoilt sandwiches, all the rancid food that we
reject, one after another, handing them over to a few tiny brown hands that
readily grasped, like an opportunity that knocked not often. I saw giggles and
shrieks of excitement, as I just stood there, stunned and awed.
Meanwhile, a mother and
her kid were eating alongside me. The boy sobbed, 'Mummy, I wanted a cheese
dosa! Aap hamesha aisa hi karte ho!' He flung the unwanted dosa out and two of
the kids rushed to grab it. I was rendered speechless as I realized most people
are yet to open their eyes, to the reality that life is, in its crudest, rudest
form.
Senior Citizens
Just out from the metro at Andheri, I
was waiting for a rickshaw for some fifteen minutes, with a very heavy bag on
my shoulder. Standing next to me was an old man almost in his 60s. Finally a
rickshaw halted nearby and I offered the old man the ride. But he said, 'Beta,
take the rickshaw. You should reach your place early. I will get another one in
no time.' Old is definitely gold.
Here’s hoping that 2016 is as enlightening
as this year has been.
I’m sharing my #TalesOf2015 with BlogAdda.
