Traveling to college everyday, in a train compartment, sitting on the same seat for about an hour, your entire attention is on your phone of course. Yes, it was surely enjoyable in the early days, but after a while, you don’t get to see anything unusual most of the times. That is the reason if you ever spot me in a train compartment, I would be drowned into some book or my mobile phone.
It was a similar day today, morning 9 am. I was sitting by the window, enjoying the newest mix-tape I downloaded. I was into my phone screen when I noticed a ‘Chikoo’ seller making his way through the boogie. I glanced at him through my peripheral sight and was soon back on the phone screen. I noticed the man sitting on the other side bought some 8 chickoo for Rs. 10, ‘Nice deal’, I thought, ‘but cannot carry them to college’. Just then, the man, who bought those Chikoos, started distributing those in between us, the people sitting next to him. I stared at him for a second, this time a bit carefully. He was a well groomed individual, in around his late 40s. He was the typical man you find in countryside India, and his preference for white outfit depicted that well.
He offered me chikoo, and I took it without any hesitations. It was real sweet. He gave away 7 of the 8 he had to the people around him, relished the one he had left in his hand, and started talking to the people, total strangers. He said that he didn’t have a native place, and that makes him feel every place like his own. He chuckled. The people around him started with their stories and it was fun to hear. There were some five to six of them who were chatting like they were some long lost friends, when in fact, they had just met a few minutes ago. The smiles and the laughter I witnessed were something unforgettable. They spoke for sometime after that, while I, finding no room to add anything in those elderly talks, decided to put the music back on.
It did, however, teach me how important it is to give away, and how much joy it gives to the people who receive it. I learned that I need not have a bucket full of cash to bring a smile on someone’s face. It can be done with some 10 bucks too. Plus what you get are some friends, who have a great first impression of yours in their minds. It is a small price to pay for those many returns.
It is funny how a random incident changes your point of views to that extent. People like these exist in our World, who call the World their home, and the people their very own. The World and Mother Nature are really our very own. It is just that we often forget it in our fast paced lives. Have a great time ahead.