On the train journey from Agra to Calicut, we got our seats on a compartment packed with many type of people ranging from children to army men... I was happy with the place, since the next box to my seat was filled with small children...
As time passed, a lady came to me and asked whether I could switch my seats with the seats she have in next compartment...
I was cool, but there was issues like we have to shift our luggages, moreover they were till Goa only... so we would have to return back after there...
we, anyway, moved to the new place, and as we reached there and while trying to settle there, a girl in the middle berth smiled to us... we were happy at her behaviour... I found the oppurtunity good for making a friend and made all sorts of faces... and I was happy that she cared us... she intently watched I performing my prayer... she was happy to have me around... and after that, I and my friend settled and started speaking to each other about our trip... we were speaking in malayalam, with full confidence that none nearby could grasp what we are talking about, even if they cared... at that point, the girl lifted her head and asked to me... "uncle, aap kerala se hee hena..?"
I was taken aback... I found a new friend in that girl... I started spending more time talking to her... asked her name and got that it was 'khushi'... happiness... she was having a name which project what she is... she told us that she is from Oriya, which we mistook as Orissa... ( and asked her about the cyclone, which she could not understand...) later, a friend who was in the same compartment and doing B tech, C.S from NITC (4th yr, forgot his name... evdeppoyaalum oronnu vannolum) corrected us that it is a place in UP... she told that she is traveling to Goa to meet her deedi... she was with an aunty and in effect she was alone without parents in the train... she liked me in the beginning and played with me... she first gave her champak to me to read.. which is in Hindi... I struggled a bit to grasp the meanings of all words... and then I gave it to her and told to her to read a story for me... she read stories for me... she told about her school, her malayalam teachers... her facebook account with 98 friends, where she have given her age as 18 (she is 9 yrs old, btw) and she told that she has an android phone, having whatsapp... and even two more other social media like, viber and something more, which I forgot... she know about Kerala, Onam.. she found time in between to read a bit of science... about soil formation and related aspects... within hours of being in that compartment, I found that she disturbed all around her, and gained the love of all around her... the night was sleepy and the morning drowsy...
the next morning, she opened her bag to take out sweets and to distribute them... she have brought enough 'gadgets' to create bonds with others... there was a girl in our box, who was to drop down at Mumbai,(panvel station) just as the station was approaching, I hinted khushi to give a gift to her... there is a kind of fun in finding a person suddenly feeling happy when they get a gift so unexpected... the journey moved on... there was a small problem in between that I am a pure non vegetarian while khushi a pure veg... this caused a small problem.. :) but it was ok to an extend...
the train moved on, without knowing the inner dramas....
as the train was approaching Goa, there was a slight change in our behaviours...
due to some reason, khushi was less and less inclined towards me... I asked her whether i could take a picture of her, for which she denied the consent... she denied my gift to her, a small mud glass, which now sits in my showcase... she even stopped talking to me...
just before karbude, at ukshi station, there were enough monkeys outside the train... and our train had to wait there for signal... at first, khushi came with me to see the monkeys, and I showed her the mirror and said to look in that...
then my friend told her that if she came with me, then i will push her out of the train... and after that she kept a larger distance from me... after a long gap, she relied on me and came to me and I showed her the monkeys, the way to attract them with what less of objects we have... I just loved explaining her and thought in mind, oh, I do not have a little sister... It would have been great fun...
When the train again took off from ukshi, I myself kept a distance from her, since she did not accept my gift...
then the station where she was to leave arrived... she left the compartment, without telling us nor others goodbye... I was busy in another box with few other children... I called my friend, ran out of train to the platform and found khushi with her deedi... I went to her and complained... why left without a 'ta ta'... she was a bit shy and with a kallachiri, waved at us and said goodbye... we turned back to the train... My heart was with a mixture of feelings...
i could not explain with words...
but, the two mornings and one night with khushi was something great... unforgettable... and with lots of love... we do not need any wealth to create happiness in the minds of few... we just have to give them a bit of love... a few words... and that little girl, within a few hours have gave us much...
I may not meet her again... but within that short span, she had changed my life, and many others....
As time passed, a lady came to me and asked whether I could switch my seats with the seats she have in next compartment...
I was cool, but there was issues like we have to shift our luggages, moreover they were till Goa only... so we would have to return back after there...
we, anyway, moved to the new place, and as we reached there and while trying to settle there, a girl in the middle berth smiled to us... we were happy at her behaviour... I found the oppurtunity good for making a friend and made all sorts of faces... and I was happy that she cared us... she intently watched I performing my prayer... she was happy to have me around... and after that, I and my friend settled and started speaking to each other about our trip... we were speaking in malayalam, with full confidence that none nearby could grasp what we are talking about, even if they cared... at that point, the girl lifted her head and asked to me... "uncle, aap kerala se hee hena..?"
I was taken aback... I found a new friend in that girl... I started spending more time talking to her... asked her name and got that it was 'khushi'... happiness... she was having a name which project what she is... she told us that she is from Oriya, which we mistook as Orissa... ( and asked her about the cyclone, which she could not understand...) later, a friend who was in the same compartment and doing B tech, C.S from NITC (4th yr, forgot his name... evdeppoyaalum oronnu vannolum) corrected us that it is a place in UP... she told that she is traveling to Goa to meet her deedi... she was with an aunty and in effect she was alone without parents in the train... she liked me in the beginning and played with me... she first gave her champak to me to read.. which is in Hindi... I struggled a bit to grasp the meanings of all words... and then I gave it to her and told to her to read a story for me... she read stories for me... she told about her school, her malayalam teachers... her facebook account with 98 friends, where she have given her age as 18 (she is 9 yrs old, btw) and she told that she has an android phone, having whatsapp... and even two more other social media like, viber and something more, which I forgot... she know about Kerala, Onam.. she found time in between to read a bit of science... about soil formation and related aspects... within hours of being in that compartment, I found that she disturbed all around her, and gained the love of all around her... the night was sleepy and the morning drowsy...
the next morning, she opened her bag to take out sweets and to distribute them... she have brought enough 'gadgets' to create bonds with others... there was a girl in our box, who was to drop down at Mumbai,(panvel station) just as the station was approaching, I hinted khushi to give a gift to her... there is a kind of fun in finding a person suddenly feeling happy when they get a gift so unexpected... the journey moved on... there was a small problem in between that I am a pure non vegetarian while khushi a pure veg... this caused a small problem.. :) but it was ok to an extend...
the train moved on, without knowing the inner dramas....
as the train was approaching Goa, there was a slight change in our behaviours...
due to some reason, khushi was less and less inclined towards me... I asked her whether i could take a picture of her, for which she denied the consent... she denied my gift to her, a small mud glass, which now sits in my showcase... she even stopped talking to me...
just before karbude, at ukshi station, there were enough monkeys outside the train... and our train had to wait there for signal... at first, khushi came with me to see the monkeys, and I showed her the mirror and said to look in that...
then my friend told her that if she came with me, then i will push her out of the train... and after that she kept a larger distance from me... after a long gap, she relied on me and came to me and I showed her the monkeys, the way to attract them with what less of objects we have... I just loved explaining her and thought in mind, oh, I do not have a little sister... It would have been great fun...
When the train again took off from ukshi, I myself kept a distance from her, since she did not accept my gift...
then the station where she was to leave arrived... she left the compartment, without telling us nor others goodbye... I was busy in another box with few other children... I called my friend, ran out of train to the platform and found khushi with her deedi... I went to her and complained... why left without a 'ta ta'... she was a bit shy and with a kallachiri, waved at us and said goodbye... we turned back to the train... My heart was with a mixture of feelings...
i could not explain with words...
but, the two mornings and one night with khushi was something great... unforgettable... and with lots of love... we do not need any wealth to create happiness in the minds of few... we just have to give them a bit of love... a few words... and that little girl, within a few hours have gave us much...
I may not meet her again... but within that short span, she had changed my life, and many others....
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