This evening I stepped out to a food court nearby for a cup of coffee. At the Darshani, I saw two very old gentlemen - they must have been at least 85 - stop by the counter, speak to the cashier, and finally walk away slowly carrying two cups of coffee with trembling hands. I walked to the cashier, a young girl probably in her early twenties, and asked her what they had wanted. She said they wanted to know what they could get for Rs. 20/-, and whether some snacks could be included. When they realised that was a little more expensive, they took just what they could afford. Something touched me very deep down. I walked up to them, smiled and asked them gently if they would like some curd vada. They both looked at me surprised, smiled with decades of wisdom, and agreed when I asked them a second time. I bought them the curd vadas along with some for myself, and sat at their table and talked to them for a while, sharing the meal and coffee. speaking immaculate English, they told me how one of them had sons and grandsons in India and abroad, and lived here in their apartments but without much company, shuttling between their children who were in India, in their old age. It was a very sad, yet harshly realistic conversation. At the end of the small meal, they both wished me well, and we parted as anonymous friends. I have no words to describe the whirlwind of emotions I feel even now, but two emotions stand out: sadness and yet acceptance at what life has to offer us, and gratitude to the universe for having given me the opportunity to give those two old gentlemen a smile and some goodness on a random evening.
Posted on: Mon, 21 Jul 2014 17:19:35 +0000
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