Arjun was traveling,standing, in a bus , in one of the most crowded cities of India. He looked at all the people sitting at the window seats of the bus expecting that some one will get down from the bus, so that he can occupy a window seat.He looked at the eyes of all the people who catches an eye contact with his eyes. He understands a man or a woman by just looking at their eyes. He believes that eyes speak of Life. Eyes speak of Happiness, Melancholiness , Expectations, Dreams, Hope , Mercy , Pity , Admiration and so on. That evening , many pairs of eyes , said to him that the people of that city are in a hurry and are lost in thoughts. He told himself , may be because it is a Friday and they are just planning for their week ends. Week end was never there in his dictionary.Days were same to him – except for one reason that the companies were closed on the week ends. He hoped that he would get a window seat before he gets down from the bus, though his right brain told him that he’ll have to get down in another 2 kilometers. It seemed , It will rain. He thought he should have borrowed an umbrella from his friend. He didn’t like the fact that he has to walk for about 500 meters from the bus-stop to his home.He realized , the fellow travelers would have also thought , that he is also lost in thoughts. He said to himself , “People are lost in thoughts when they have none to speak too”.
It started drizzling, When he started walking back to his home.It was refreshing, he thought.He remembered few good movies he watched, when few drops of rain fell on his cheek. The direction of the rain was slanting , making the drops of rain to fall only on his left cheek.He thought , How many days would it take to get a job in this world? Its been a month, since he came to this city searching for a job. He thought : the money he had would only last for couple of more months. He did not know what he would do , When he reaches home.He looked at the sky for an answer, more drops of rain fell on this forehead , but there was no answer.He reached his home. The books were scattered all over the hall. He wanted to look at a particular book and check whether he answered an interview question correctly – but later, felt it doesn’t matter. He stood at the balcony of his home, looking at the eyes of the people, and How their gait was!. He thought , “everyone has a unique gait and that also tells me something about that person. What would my interviewers thought : when i walked to their desk ?”. It was few minutes after the rain had stopped, He thought he wanted to have a tea.He waited for his friend to come. He forgot it after he waited for about 30 minutes. He started reading , again.
He and his friend , went for supper in a cheap hotel near by. They did not talk much. His friend said: It was a refreshing rain this evening.Arjun just nodded yes. He didn’t like the hotel for they had hurt them many times by just asking the cheapest food to serve, even when they don’t ask for it.Arjun thought several times why and How they cannot have food in other hotels.
At night, He did not sleep for a long time. He looked at the air planes in the sky – dreaming that he would one day travel in one of those planes.He did not cry but the tears rolled on in his cheeks. He reached for a blanket to cover him completely so that he can cry without worrying that his friend would see him.He questioned himself, Why none of his friends calls him? may be they are afraid that he would expect some help from them. He asked What friendship was that?
He decided:” If one day , If I am of help to someone , I would never deny a help for – If a person comes and asks you for anything , He or She might have thought about it several times -No body gives up their self-respect so soon , When he realizes that he has no way out – He selects a very few friends whom he can ask and asks for help in a low,timid voice hoping that his friend would comfort him or her”.
He spent most of his time in preparing for the interviews.At times, He remembered his family and remembered How they cannot help him anymore.He wanted to be alone , alone. He thought: “Every man wants to be alone when he thinks that he is either inferior or not doing good and so he avoids meeting people – Every one is alone especially when they are lost”.Loneliness , sometimes gives him strength and sometimes, It teaches him what pain is?!.Sometimes, he cries at heart thinking that all this would never end and sometimes he hopes for a good future.
On Monday, when he walked on the road for an interview , a poor old man , asked for help – asking if Arjun can help him with money or food?. Arjun gave the old man a 2 rupee coin. The old man chuckled at him. Old man’s eyes spoke of How his self-esteem was respected by Arjun. Arjun looked at the sky to confirm if that was true ,there was no answer, no rain either.
Serenity & Harmony.
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