Monday 23 March 2009

"Stranger in a strange land..."

How often do we actually see a person helping another man, just like that. Just cause they are humans and of no other ulterior motive?
My guess is next to never, but when one finally gets lucky enough to be treated with such kindness, oh! what a great feeling it is! A sense of being pampered, and to top it off; by a stranger!

I myself know of quite a few cases where me or my friends or a mere acquaintance have been treated with such warmth that it has touched them indeed,for life.

I would like to give these strangers the honour that they deserve, by citing the instances.

I was going by the BIT bus to town on my own, the bus was pretty much packed with locals. I was sitting on a chair next to the alley way. The loafers seeing it as their moment of glory and triumph, were standing not only next to me, but putting their body weight and leaning on me. Being from Calcutta mere "huff" and "puff" is good enough to embarrass the "machos",and put them where they deserve to be. But, being in Jharkhand, the scenario had gone from bad to worse and being that kind of loud to help my situation, required quite some summoning of strength! By the time, I was preparing to shoo off the locals in the meanwhile the conductor came along to ask for the ticket fare and he was worse, cause I was no longer feeling the backside of random locals but a feel of full frontal of his family treasures. I was about to jump out of the bus at this particular moment, when the gentleman sitting next to me offered me the window seat and I couldn't have felt more safe,secure,delirious and jubilant. A few moments later, the stranger spoke to me, he was heralding from Calcutta, he was a non-Bengali yet he praised Calcutta and its chivalrous culture with such zeal and passion, that his words made me proud to be born of her rich soil.I never met him again, but every time I travel by the bus I do relive the series of events.

The next citation is to honour a stranger who helped my brother. My brother(MB) was at the New Delhi station waiting to pick up his friend. Unluckily enough, instead he got his pocket "picked"(Sorry, the pun was almost too tempting to be overlooked!). To top it off, his friends train got delayed by 8 hours(and, ah! it was back in the days when his phone had just got stolen.Yeah yeah i know a completely helpless situation.. just listen along will you?And, no I'm not making any of it up!!!). So there he was trapped in New Delhi station without any form of seeking help, for 8 hours! He was looming around,hopelessly; when he saw a boy a few years younger to him and he seemed approachable. So MB approached him with his heart pounding in his mouth, explained his scenario and asked him for 20 bucks, the guy said he'd seen my brother around and gave him a 50 buck note. MB asked him for his address, but he said its all right and he walked off.

The next citation is to honour my beloved DD..She was travelling in a bus. The conductor approached her for a ticket, she had a 500 rupee's note and the conductor was threatenning to throw her off the bus if she didn't hand him over change. She asked for change from the passengers to her left and to her right. DD already running late, was getting very flustered with the present scenario. Then, an elderly female pitying her situation, paid for her tickets and when DD(being DD), looked at her with wide, confused, baffled and bewildered eyes; the elderly woman just nodded at her with such warmth, that she felt indebted to her from that moment on to beyond eternity.

There are perhaps countless number of times when ONE(yes..it's hinted at u! ;) ) actually gets to experience this almost extinct feeling of being human,kindness of humans,and what is humanity all about!

And,boy oh! VOYY, Its wonderfulLy cherished by each One of us, lucky enough to be Victims for Experiencing such sinfUl pleasures.