The costliest thing?

While taking an evening stroll on a lovely Saturday evening, with the lovely spring breeze caressing my hair and the fragrance of leaves combined with the excited chirping of kids playing on the grounds soothing my senses: I came upon an abrupt and somewhat disconcerting sight of a woman sitting alone on a bench and shedding quiet tears. She was so quiet and lost in her sorrow and hidden in the shadows, that if I hadn’t heard her hiccuping sob, I would have completely missed her presence. Something about her vacant eyes and the sheer agony etched on her face drew me in and I couldn’t stop myself from taking a seat next to her on the bench. I didn’t know her language and neither did she know mine, yet somewhere I felt bound to her by that thread of sorrow which binds all the living beings together, whether humans or animals.

She glanced at me. I asked her with my eyes whether all was Ok and she started sobbing uncontrollably. I couldn’t control myself and put an arm around her shoulder, just patting her gently and being with her. I sat beside her for about half an hour, during which time her sobs eventually subsided.

Neither of us said a word.

After some time she smiled at me and I just patted her hand and went on my way.





This reminded me of an instance about a month ago. I had visited my office headquarters and met some of the people there, many of whom work in different departments and don’t communicate with me on a daily basis. Being a normally affable person, with a perpetual smile pasted on my face, I am usually quite friendly with people around me. So I talked and smiled and greeted everyone around.

After about a month, I had to upload some required official documents. There were 2-3 people along with me who were also uploading their documents and they were doing so without a hitch, but I, being somewhat technologically challenged, was having a great problem doing this.

Help came in the form of a colleague, who was assisting us online. She realised that I was lagging behind and she privately messaged me and personally walked me through each and every form, so that I didn’t make a fool of myself in front of everyone.

When I thanked her for her help, she told me that she remembered me from my visit to the office and that I was very friendly with her even though I had met her for the first time.





These instances made me wonder.

When did we forget the natural art of smiling at our fellow human beings, even if they aren’t known to us?

When did sharing someone’s sorrow become so unthinkable?

When did being polite, friendly and gentle become such unknown qualities that someone remembered me just because she found something positive in me that she might not have usually encountered?

When did we stop being natural and became mechanical?

These days, if we speak to an unknown person or smile at a child, people look at us with distrust.
If we walk on the road humming to ourselves, people think that we are mad.
If we sit beside some sad person, just wanting to lend a shoulder, everyone feels that we must be having a hidden agenda.
If we just look happy, everyone asks the reason!

Why should there be a reason to be polite, happy or friendly?

Isn’t being alive and healthy a good enough reason?????

I remember a scene from an old movie “Anand”, where the main character is dying from cancer. As he has just some months remaining, he tries to befriend anyone he seems to like while walking on the road. Most people think that he is mad and avoid him, but one person who is a happy go lucky person befriends him. Months later, when he is on his deathbed, his friend asks him as to why he came and talked to him, and the hero tells him that he wished to make at least one friendship without any agenda.

Just like that!!!!

There’s a famous quote, “Be nice to someone for no reason. You never know when you’re going to need someone to be nice to you for no reason”