A memoir of truth about traveling

by Sukanya Singh (India)

I didn't expect to find India

What people do find are unexpected reality and more importantly an acceptance of world as it is, which what we mostly miss out on while traveling. It's an experience for sure, but more importantly it shatters the rose colored version of the surrounding which otherwise is portraid as perfection by the education we receive early on. This is a story which is unequivocally an impromptu trip, the details of which are slipping by as I begin writing about it. But the story is not in the details but the unconventional confrontation about a person. Travelling about a decade ago in a general coach of Indian railways had its own challenges. With the influx of phones and thus the inconvenience of charging of the foresaid device was nothing but a hassle. Luckily I was traveling with a multisocket outlet which I offered to plug in for the convenience of the fellow passengers, myself included. As the heat of mid summer scroached down my throat lacking hydration and with me being too scared to get off the train to refill my bottle, pertaining to reasons reserved for other story. A gentleman or so I thought, in what can be described as a rag of a cloth, seeing my dilemma took the bottle out of my hands and rushed to fill it from the nearest outlet available, as the train slowly starts to leave the comfort of platform's shade. I was taken aback by that act of kindness as he rushed back handing me over the nectar of life. Being a socially awkward creature all I could manage to say was thank you, followed by a series of grateful smiles thereafter. Thinking to myself what plight of life he must have been suffering and yet was observant enough to relieve me of my agonizing thirst. Fast forwarding to the point where the last stop was approaching, 2 innocent looking kids roughly 7-8 years old came rushing towards the man hold a couple of pairs of footwares. Chirpping happily at their feat of being able to collect them from the AC coach. Bragging about how they were able to complete the mission with validation seeking eye from the man in the rags. A moment of utter shock and realization dawned upon me reaching to the obvious conclusion of them being a bunch of thieves. Not just too long ago I was under the impression of the person being nice and honest and now my whole analogy took a 180 degree turn. I however didn't start weighing the moral of the person and his what can be said as minions, but a sheer understanding that survival of them dependent on trade like this but never stripping off of their inherently good nature. Maybe if his economic forte had been otherwise he could have been a philanthropist, helping people, saving children? Who knows. As I began to gather my stuff and arrange my bags I took another glance at the trio bustling with pride, deboarding at the platform I again said my thank you, as one does in civilized version of society. But a story of kindness and neccesity stuck with me to this day. Makes you wonder that person could have easily robbed you and could have chosen to be kind to then shoeless man, but that's just the kind of uncertainty we ought to live with.