People

We sometimes encounter people, perfect strangers, who begin to interest us at first sight, somehow suddenly, all at once, before a word has been spoken.
--Fydor Dostoevsky

This post is about the people who have made me amaze, puzzle in the past few days. They are from different walks of life and different age groups.

First is this boy in his 10 or 12 yrs. This boy is a chai vendor near my client’s office in Mahalaxmi. I go everyday to have a cup of special chai from this guy and watch him closely. This boy shows a sense of maturity in handling the business (yeah...chai vending is also a business and this boy is also an entrepreneur). He is in his early stages of life and I wonder what at this stage of life made him not to go school and pursue his business*. I have seen a bunch of kids on work but so far none have puzzled me like this. This guy has a style in his work, has a never tiring face and greets everyone with the same energy level. Haan Sir…Boliye This guy gives me energy to look out life in a positive way. Kudos to this young chap! He is one of my inspirations.

The next is a granny. I saw this granny in Andheri railway station once. Her skin was so loose, spine bent and she was wearing a gown like a kid girl. For sure she would be in her second half of 80’s. There was no one along with her to accompany. The moment I saw her, my eyes were looking at who had accompanied her! Andheri railway station at the morning hours is jam-packed and people push each other to move forward. Granny was sitting in the platform. A train arrived and I was all gasps on she is going to get pushed. Amazingly, she managed herself and went along in the crowd. She is very old that people at her age couldn’t even mange to stand for some time. This granny had a clear vision too** without specs and at her 80’s with no one accompanying her; she was energetic and had managed on her own to commute. I wonder how she would have led her life such that she has the courage at this age to manage on her own. Granny…You rock, you are a rock star!!!

Next is a man in his 50’s. With gentleman dressing, looking very tired, walking like a patient and coughing at regular intervals, I have seen him a couple of times sitting across me in the train***. He has the marks of an ex-serviceman. He carries around 5-6 newspapers and untied assorted flowers in hand. I have only seen those type flowers tied as garland. Once he is seated, he starts with the TOI and falls asleep soon. He appears as a tired person and I start thinking that he has worked very hard through his life for his loved ones and failed to be understood. Or may be those flowers are for a missed loved one or may be to be offered to some deity. All these are my thoughts when I see this gentleman. My thoughts never go out of these and immediately it takes me to my memories. This gentleman makes me think about life in the mornings I see him.

I once saw this person while on my way to Andheri station. He had nothing below his body beyond his thighs. What he had was only his upper part of the body! He crawls on the floor with support from hands and his half cut thigh is dragged along in the floor. Life can’t be cruel like this to a human being. Whatever evil he has done, this is a cruel punishment in his life. I would prefer to die rather than living than this. Yet, this person was doing an honorable job. He was cleaning the floor with paper dusts left by the commuters in the ticket counter and receives money if somebody gives him. He doesn’t sit idle and beg for money. He cleans the place which we use and receives money for living. He is not only a good citizen but also makes me believe that life can be lived however it may be to you.

There are so many like these people whom I meet in my daily lives who encourage and instill the confidence of life. It’s the other side of the world which has a mix of positive and also negative things. Life is all about how we live along with it!

*On the other hand, it’s not a must to study to run a business and not all who are educated are intelligent too. Most of them are cracks and I too fall in that category.
**Health is obviously wealth especially when you are old. I wish to be independent like this granny with good health not bothering anyone during my last years.
***There are regular passengers who rush in the empty train to sit in their regular seats. I have my regular seat tooB-)