A journey to Mumbai…

With the fraction of a minute I had missed Saurashtra-Janta Express so I had to settle in a general bogie of Lok-Shakti Express. I had to create place by rearranging the passengers’ luggage on the upper luggage shelf. Then I climbed and impounded on the upper luggage shelf while the rest travelers stared at my heroic deed with eyes opened wide! I rested there for two hours enjoying the live melodies before coming down and occupying a sitting berth.

It was around 2 am and the inner scene of Lok-Shakti train’s general bogie grabbed my attention. Principles of survival were effectively executed by the bogie travelers as they had adjusted themselves in narrow spaces. Some men, women and children were lying on the floor like the poor lay on floor of their huts. Some were sitting on seats crushing their shoulders or falling on each other like a middle class family adjusting itself in its limited resources. Some men slept on upper berth like the rich resting on luxurious couch. Last but not the least few travelers slept near bogie’s toilets like the homeless living on slum pavements.

As the trained reached to Navsari there was rainfall and the rain water had made its way into the bogie through a broken window to disturb the peaceful sleep of few passengers lying on the floor. An old uncle’s towel got wet and he spent rest of his train time drying it. It’s the lack of resource that makes an individual to esteem it!
A talkative girl that embarked in the train from Bilimora was quickly surrounded by few young lads who were travelling to Daman via Vapi to have a mini vacation. Their enthusiasm reveled that they wouldn’t have expected such glamorous start of their mini vacation!
On an opposite berth an over-caring mother kept on insisting her 12 years son to sleep on her lap and her son kept on denying her request persistently and annoyingly. An emergence of generation gap!
A south Indian man considered his right to stretch his leg and a Gujarati lady looked it as a hindrance to her sleep! However they both did rest but without giving up their arguments! A perfect picture of unity in diversity!
The night duty laborers of tea and snacks stalls kept on floating in the bogie with their annoying shouts at various stations where the train halted. The night duty police personnel too visited the bogie with 007 look in their eyes!

A recently received sms says "Instead of thinking about what you're missing, try to think about what you have that everyone else is missing, life will be happy" My night was sleepless but not useless as the pictures of people lying on floor etc reminded me of blessings that I have. And believe me the knowledge of what we have is helpful to live life thankfully to almighty.

Some life

Today morning they had travelled from their respective villages to board at the training center. They looked fresh on their arrival and looked fresh too all the day. They walked round the campus happily, met and talked to new people joyfully, gained knowledge curiously and participated in the class happily. Before the night shaded its dark shadows they over the phone talked caringly with their families!

The world looks happy place to them. They are positivity to life. May be their simplicity has made the evil of world invisible to them! They appear at ease in today’s speedy age! They take life as it comes! May be them not being over ambitious makes the life at ease for them! They looked innocent and simple all up the day to all the day down. But their simplicity was graced with sparkle of their eyes! I don’t remember when last I had seen eyes, missing the ‘I know’ attitude!

Their talks were informal but the indirect ‘show up’ in declaration of one’s achievements and possessions was missing. Their words were gentle and the flow of respect was without hidden messages and agendas! Their laugh and fun activities were soul pleasing. Their simplicity and yet liveliness, their limited resources and yet joyfulness, their limited knowledge and acknowledging that fact their curiosity to learn, in all I had impressive first day with them.

They are the teachers working with me, now are participating in 4 days “Adult Literacy Training” at Loyola Center, Nadiad. They call me ‘sir’ but I have to be their disciple to learn some ‘life’!

My Hero

Yesterday we few friends got together after a long time i.e. after seven months! It was decided that we will share the happenings of past months followed by dinner.

It was joy to listen everyone and the noticeable progress everyone has scored in past few months. One of our friend families who had allotted time to pursue Ph.D. was now through and is managing their household joyfully. Another blessed with a baby boy had progressed in their professional career as well as had bought a new house. Few bachelors amongst us were not behind too as one had professional progress while another was going to start a new job.

However one of us whom we can title as ‘silent profile’ had gone through some harsh times. His wife met with an accident and therefore he had to handle his household along with his job. His time schedule included his work in kitchen, workplace, hospital, children’s school etc. His devotional and punctual service for his family is remarkable. Before departing I told him that ‘Martin, I don’t think I can handle the way you have handle the situation’.

His sharing still cherishes my heart and soul. Profile like him might not have glamour shade but has potentiality to be hero for many like me.