Day 43 - Love Today

It’s true that things have changed a lot across times. For the better? I don’t know. Should we stop changing? I am not sure. But some changes do affect you. Don’t they? You accept them as they are. You can’t argue against them because you don’t have any rights to. But still they affect you.

It happened around 3 months ago. It was a Saturday. I was traveling in a local electric train from Chetpet to Tambaram. I think it was in Guindy they got in. A guy and a girl; should be around 19 or 20. The girl looked beautiful and rich. The guy looked otherwise. Like someone who earned daily wages. Probably he was dark, uncombed and had some metal chain around his neck - that is why my mind thought so. I have to change a lot, I thought.

I got a seat near the window. It was able to get a perfect view of them from there. It was a great experience to see them communicate. Silently, sometimes in gestures, sometimes only with their eyes. There was some kind of emotional feeling within me. "Love is a beautiful creation", I thought.

The girl had her notebooks with her. Probably she was in her Extra Classes now. The guy – did not seem like he had studied at all. How come!!! I thought. Screeech....The train came to a halt. My thoughts too... The family sitting opposite to me vacated their seat. As if they were waiting for it, the guy and the girl sat there – the girl near the window, directly opposite to me and the guy on her right.

He sat close to her. His dress touching hers. He took the notebook from her and said "Studying well illa?". She said "Give it back" and took it back from him. He said "Study well da" - with real concern. She smiled - with real happiness over the concern. I was looking outside - my eyes still watching them. It was time for something interesting to happen, I thought. It happened. He moved closer to her. Their shoulders touching, now. Uncultured fellow? Probably no or probably yes... everyone is... when it comes to this!!! She slowly moved to her left - giving a proper angry look at him. And then she turned her eyes towards me. Indicating him that I was watching. She knew that I was. I saw him give a sheepish smile and move back a bit. Still their dresses were in touch.

I thought about our culture for a second. Why they behaved so. A stranger is still invasion of privacy for us. Privacy is where no one is. I turned my eyes to the other side and looking outside, I smiled. How sweet the feeling of love is!!! I had great respect for her. Only a bit for him. But, I really wished they could be together for life. I was enjoying every bit of my journey with them.

Foul smell emanated through the windows. "Chromepet", I thought. People got down. Now, there werent many people in our coach. That is when it happened. Spoiling the entire experience...

"So tomorrow book at Mahabalipuram", she said. He said, "No we are not going there anymore". My heart stopped for a moment. She looked at him. That was an angrier look than the previous one – when their shoulders had met. She said "I shall tell my parents that I am going for combined study tomorrow night. Nee book pannu". And she was loud this time. Not worrying that I would hear them. He was strong this time - "No we are not going anywhere again till you finish this year. Study well" – with genuine concern again. She looked at him – with genuine frustration over his concern. He kept talking – as if he was advising a little child on what was right and what was wrong. I was looking at them – directly, now. She was still angry. "I wont talk to you again. You don’t understand. We won’t get another chance", she told him. And then she turned her eyes to me, and gave that angry look direct into my eyes as if she was asking me "Does it bother you, you *******". I immediately stood up, looked sharp into her eyes as if I was telling her "Yes!!! And it is not me, but you who is a *****". I moved to a different seat.

I talked to Leo da Mirci the same day regarding this. And what he told me – still lingers in my mind. And I will never forget them.

It is up to oneself to decide what he/she does. What they did – I don’t want to get into whether it is right or wrong. But for you, my friend; there is a bigger learning. Never ever evaluate a person by the way they look. Goodness does not lie in how you look, how you dress or how you carry yourself. It lies only in the way you live your life. You really owe an apology to that guy.

Wherever you are I am sorry my friend.