My Father and I started off on our journey to Nagpur at 9 in the morning. Me having an interview the next day and considering that literally my life depended on the interview I was just physically present on Earth. We went and checked for our names and berth nos on the list outside and we got to know that my ticket is still not confirmed. Finally after having manoeuvred to our berths we sat down there although I had these doubts lingering in my mind if we will be asked for the confirmation. There were abt three to four people in the compartment and a kid of abt 2 yrs age. I sat down to a corner and started off with the pile of magazines that I had carried with me from home to devour on during the journey. Somehow whether I read the books/magazines or not carrying study material with me when there is some important exam to be given always gives me some mental support and solace. When I was reading I heard one of the persons around me mention abt B-Schools. He was a middle aged person and he was enquiring abt B-schools with another passenger who was a youngster. After sometime someone in the compartment asked me why have u bought the whole shop of magazines. I was so taken aback by the question that it took a moment for me to answer….also since I was in another world it wud have obviously taken some time for me to get back!! But anyways my father answered the query for me and then the middle aged man started asking me a lot of ques. following that.I was all the time thinking ‘arey yeh sab jaanke kya karna hai…how does it bother u’ and anyways probably we are brought up in such a way that we always find it a bit odd to speak to strangers.Then slowly the conversation started drifting towards Indian mythology…..how knowledgeable people were in olden days…Nalanda…Taksheela etc.Interesting conversation….till sometime I was not paying attention but when I saw the middle aged person so much involved in the talk I couldn’t help but listen.
Meanwhile, the kid’s father wanted to take some rest so he was trying his best to lull his kid to go to sleep…..but the kid showed no signs of the same.So, this middle aged person offered a helping hand saying that he cud take care of his son for sometime.But the father seemed to be apprehensive abt the idea….seeing the father I cud recollect this sentence “Beware!! There is a BIG BAD World outside”.And obviously we can’t really trust a stranger to take care of our kid.
Finally the kid went to sleep after a lot of coaxing and the father got some time to take rest.Our middle aged man continued with his conversation of Indian mythology.The talk drifted to Indian culture…..Indians, the family bonadage, emotions etc etc.The talk was nothing new to our ears…day in and day out we keep cursing the western culture and praising the Indian culture and keep trying to look for pros and cons of both but the sheer way in which this middle aged person was speaking was very captivating.It didn’t seem as if he was talking superficially but it came straight from his heart.And some people are so talented that the moment they speak their speech demands all ur attention and respect.While we were all involved in the conversation the kid who was sleeping on the top berth started moving towards the edge of the berth and was about to fall.The middle aged person noticed it and in a split second both my father and he were at the Kid’s rescue.The commotion woke up the kid’s father and he brought the kid down.A stranger whom initially the kid’s father was apprehensive abt giving his kid for some time subconsciously was always taking care of his kid when he was taking rest.
By then we had reached our destination and we had to get down.It is then that I realised tht 12 hrs of journey didn’t seem like an ordeal as I had imagined it to be……thanks to this person.He made sure that all the people in the compartment speak and share their experiences….which wud have probably not happened if not for him.Finally when we were leaving the middle aged person called me to his side and gave me a sweet telling that it was the custom on their side that if someone is going for an interview or an exam they should be fed with sweet for good luck.This gesture of his left me spellbound and thinking …….Was he really just another stranger whom we met in the train!!
Next day the interview process began with all the formalities to be carried out before it commenced and all.What touched me the most here was to see that we students were all helping each other out with the process….disclosing the questions that were asked to each other in the interview…disclosing the topic of GD to other groups and all.Weren’t we all strangers !!And we all very well knew that we were all competing with each other.The words of the middle aged person in the train that ‘its in our culture to consider everyone as one family’ flashed in my head.Probably consciously or subconsciously we too try belonging to this family and try building a family around us wherever we go….just that we are too occupied to realise it!!
So is it true to believe that there is a BIG BAD World outside then!! Whatever the answer to this but this trip of mine is surely going to be memorable.
Meanwhile, the kid’s father wanted to take some rest so he was trying his best to lull his kid to go to sleep…..but the kid showed no signs of the same.So, this middle aged person offered a helping hand saying that he cud take care of his son for sometime.But the father seemed to be apprehensive abt the idea….seeing the father I cud recollect this sentence “Beware!! There is a BIG BAD World outside”.And obviously we can’t really trust a stranger to take care of our kid.
Finally the kid went to sleep after a lot of coaxing and the father got some time to take rest.Our middle aged man continued with his conversation of Indian mythology.The talk drifted to Indian culture…..Indians, the family bonadage, emotions etc etc.The talk was nothing new to our ears…day in and day out we keep cursing the western culture and praising the Indian culture and keep trying to look for pros and cons of both but the sheer way in which this middle aged person was speaking was very captivating.It didn’t seem as if he was talking superficially but it came straight from his heart.And some people are so talented that the moment they speak their speech demands all ur attention and respect.While we were all involved in the conversation the kid who was sleeping on the top berth started moving towards the edge of the berth and was about to fall.The middle aged person noticed it and in a split second both my father and he were at the Kid’s rescue.The commotion woke up the kid’s father and he brought the kid down.A stranger whom initially the kid’s father was apprehensive abt giving his kid for some time subconsciously was always taking care of his kid when he was taking rest.
By then we had reached our destination and we had to get down.It is then that I realised tht 12 hrs of journey didn’t seem like an ordeal as I had imagined it to be……thanks to this person.He made sure that all the people in the compartment speak and share their experiences….which wud have probably not happened if not for him.Finally when we were leaving the middle aged person called me to his side and gave me a sweet telling that it was the custom on their side that if someone is going for an interview or an exam they should be fed with sweet for good luck.This gesture of his left me spellbound and thinking …….Was he really just another stranger whom we met in the train!!
Next day the interview process began with all the formalities to be carried out before it commenced and all.What touched me the most here was to see that we students were all helping each other out with the process….disclosing the questions that were asked to each other in the interview…disclosing the topic of GD to other groups and all.Weren’t we all strangers !!And we all very well knew that we were all competing with each other.The words of the middle aged person in the train that ‘its in our culture to consider everyone as one family’ flashed in my head.Probably consciously or subconsciously we too try belonging to this family and try building a family around us wherever we go….just that we are too occupied to realise it!!
So is it true to believe that there is a BIG BAD World outside then!! Whatever the answer to this but this trip of mine is surely going to be memorable.
