We often meet many people in our day to day life. We come across new faces, whether at a coffee shop, a bookstore, a cinema or even on a bus. Everyone has their own story, a story that no one knows.
Deep down in themselves, they have their joy and sorrow suppressed, but sometimes, talking to such alien person brightens our day. We come to know how an issue which is enormous in our life is just like a toothpick in the other’s life.
During my travel in my own land, I decided to travel to Chandigarh, a Union Territory in the country India. One day while going to a local place in the city, I came across one such person. Dressed in ragged clothes, the man had a bottle of medicine in his hand. We shared the same seat of a bus. Since these days trust is one precious treasure and we do not trust anyone easily, the same way I tried to keep an inch distance while sitting with this man. Out of the blue, he asked me, “can you please read the price on this bottle?”
First, I tried to avoid, but that’s when I realised that his one eye was infected and his other eye’s sight was weak. Stammering, I didn’t know how to tell the price in local language (75 in Hindi is ‘Pachatar’) as I knew how to spell ‘75’ in English only, that is, seventy-five. But that’s where my judgement was wrong. I told him that the price was 75 in English and he thanked me. I thought he didn’t know the English version of 75 and that’s how we had a good conversation.
“So what do you do?”
“I’m a student uncle, and you?”
“I work as a labour, I live in a town near Chandigarh.”
“Oh okay. But where are you from?”
“I’m from Madhya Pradesh, a state in the central India.”
“Well, I have never visited the place, is it good?”
“It is beautiful. With its temples and food, it is one must-visit place. Please do travel to Madhya Pradesh once.”
“Indeed I will. Thank you.”
..and he smiled back.
That’s when he got down to his stop and Madhya Pradesh was added to my Travel List. It’s amazing how someone can actually turn your day upside down and that person doesn’t need to be an acquaintance or a closer person.
That day I learnt a lesson – ‘Not to judge a person from their clothes or the way they are’. I still hope to meet such amazing people in the future too, because at the end of the day, it’s the experiences and memories that form our life and not the materials that we possess.
This was a guest post by blogger Srishti Millicent.
Follow her on Instagram – HERE.
Check out her blog – HERE.
Découvrir La Vie 