The unsaid 'Thank You'

by KUMARI BHAWNA (India)

I didn't expect to find India

Getting your life altogether in a new, strange place is exciting, scary and difficult. As everyone, I was going through the same phase of life. It’s like I was a carefree child at home and now, all of a sudden, I had to be a responsible girl with dreams. We see a bird leaving its nest and it reminds us of a lofty, breezy leap in the sky. However, we forget to acknowledge the fact that the nest becomes empty in the blink of an eye. I was getting ready for my flight, never realizing that my home would now become just a house for my parents. I was leaving my home, my city of joy to catch my train to Kolkata, the city of joy. My parents searched for my seat. It was a tiring sunny day. I was in my seat and they went to buy Lassi to quench our thirst. They handed me Lassi and the train started its journey. I saw my mother, on the other side of the window, smiling and crying at the same time, waving at me, trying to match her steps with the acceleration of the train but she failed. I understood that day that you cannot look clearly when you have tears in your eyes. “Are you a single child?” ,a lady in my bogey asked. “No.” “They must love you a lot”, she said. “Yes, they do.” I answered with a smile. The train stopped and I embarked on my new journey. Everything was fine. My college was good. I met some wonderful people. I made some good friends. There was just a little problem. I didn’t know how to cross roads. Back in my place, my father would give me his hand and then I crossed roads with no fear. But here, I had to do it on my own. Once I fell on the road. There came a woman and she helped me to get up. I had bruised my right hand. I went to a local medical shop. He bandaged me and I asked him, “How much?”. He said, “Nothing. Just be careful on road.” I have always been a person, who falls, from bicycle, on roads, anywhere and everywhere. “Falling is important in order to rise”, my mother taught me and she taught me that you need to take Tetanus vaccine when you fall on road. In the evening, I went to a local doctor. He gave me the injection. As I was coming out the clinic, a person entered. Suddenly, I started to faint there. That person gave me his water bottle. I saved myself and politely, I returned him the bottle. “Keep it.” “Do you live nearby? I can drop you home.” I lived there but it was not my home. My home was some 600 kms away. My heart became heavy and I returned to my hostel. Abruptly, a thought stroke my head. I didn’t say Thank You to him for helping me out. I never saw him again. His water bottle reminds me of the goodness that exists in this world. Wherever he is, my heart says ‘Thank You’ to him. May you never stop being a helping hero.