"She" entered my chamber in the hospital accompanied by two disciples. 
What a majestic presence! 
Even when she is @90 years old. 
The younger ones talked to her with reverence. 
From the appearance and voice of the accompanying "ladies"I instantly knew them to be of third gender. 
And the one sitting on the patient seat is the grand guru, the head eunuch. 

Now one would think of many negative things, maybe filled with apprehensions too and of course some curiosity  about this community and their profession. 

I remember when we were children we were told to lock the doors and stay inside whenever eunuchs came to "shower their blessings" on the birth of a son or a son's marriage. They would come in a group of 8-9 people(sometimes less in number). They were accompanied by musicians who seemed to be normal males playing harmonium and dholak (a kind of drum). 
The dancers were dressed as females with flashy make up.... Bright lipsticks, powder, rougue, bindis, ear rings, arms full of colorful bangles and tinkling anklets on the feet. 
They spoke loudly in male voices, clapped hard in their typical style with every dialogue.  They danced and sang well. It was so amusing to peep at them from the windows since the doors were bolted from inside. Especially if they came  to your house. If they were at someone else's house then it would be okay to watch from a distance. The whole performance was so amusing and interesting too.... except for the part when they bargained hard for the money. They wouldn't leave till they got what they asked for. Sometimes their wishes were granted, sometimes some bargaining went on and on.... 
Nobody wanted to make the eunuchs angry. Their blessings are considered auspicious. They said that if they become too unhappy, then to insult the host they remove their clothes and this is a bad omen. So they are coaxed to accept what ever is offered to them in pleasure. 
One is always curious to know about their lives and many people become judgmental in their views of the eunuchs. 

But the graceful old lady sitting before me was a like any normal old woman. Despite her age, she didn't look much old. One was filled with respect towards her. On her first meeting, she didn't utter a word. She kept on assessing me quietly while I examined her. She was hardly what one would call friendly. 
But on her second visit she entered my chamber smiling and was friendly and told me she was better. So with each visit she was more and more friendly. We developed a kind of bond and I asked a bit about her life during younger days. She said she didn't know who her parents were. She was very young when she was given to eunuch guru and she worked (danced at people's houses for celebrations) in 1930s when people would pay her one or two rupees. 
Now she was the head of her clan and had built a temple and spent her time mostly in prayers and helping others and donating in society. She even adopted the orphans too. I was so moved by this epitome of humanity and kindness. How people have misgivings about some one they don't know or have never met. 
I expressed my desire to click her picture. I was told she never wants to be photographed. She seemed reluctant to get clicked but agreed because she loved me. 
I told her I will never share it with anyone. 
We kept on meeting for few more months. Then she didn't come anymore. 
It has been a year now that I saw her last. 
Where ever she is, I remember and pray for Bibi... That is what she was called by everyone. 

So continuing my narrative..... 

I was coming from Australia and the pain of separating from my very close friend was too much to sit quietly. I don't know.... the tears wouldn't stop... 
I was least bothered about who was sitting beside me. It was a long journey,  midway stop in Thailand, changing the planes and back to India. 
He was sitting beside me, busy listening to music with headphones. It suited me perfectly. I was in no mood to indulge in conversation. I was busy wiping my silently trickling tears and too absorbed in my own thoughts. He looked like a fellow Indian. But who cared? I closed my eyes and tried to sleep. He got bored and actually called a friend. I overheard his side of the conversation. "I can't tell you how boring it is to sit quietly for so many hours," he was saying to the person on other end of the phone. "I don't know what troubles the 'khatoon' (lady) sitting beside me. She keeps on crying silently, constantly !", he said. 
I felt like smiling."what does he know what troubles me? ", I thought. 
Then the refreshments arrived and we sipped our tea silently. 
I had controlled my tears by now and was staring into space in front of me.... Lost in my own thoughts. 
Maybe he felt some sympathy for me and asked if I would like to hear some music. He lent me one of the earphones and I noticed he was listening to bollywood music. I asked, "Are you Indian?". He said, "No. I am from Pakistan". 
So the conversation turned to our towns, professions etc. A brief decent talk. 
Then the dinner time arrived and I asked for vegetarian meal and he for a non-vegetarian one. But I noticed he didn't touch his food whereas I just played with mine. Took three or four morsels, ate a bit of this and that and covered my tray. I asked him was he not hungry? He said yes he was but couldn't eat this kind of non veg food, Continental style. I suggested he ask for vegetarian meal. But no veg meal was available. I felt sorry for him. I told him I had eaten very little and I could have offered him my meal had I known he was facing this issue of unpalatable food in front of him. I still offered that he can eat from my tray what ever I had not touched. But he was too hungry. He didn't mind eating in the same plate and the same spoon and finished the whole meal ! 
I felt as if he was from my own home, some relative or someone who I had known for a long time. 
There was no ill feelings.... 
Just a friendly regard for each other. 
In Thailand airport we parted ways. 
He took a flight to Pakistan and I to India. 

In those few hours thousands of feet above the ground, in air, I just learned that only humanity matters..... Just humanity. 

What would happen if two passengers sitting in adjoining seats thousands of feet above the ground in sky discover they are from neighboring countries which don't have have good relations and have a history of wars between the countries and my country blaming his country for the terrorist attacks on our soil and his country defending that they themselves are suffering due to terrorism. There is lot of negative talks and views on both sides of the border. 

But does the fact that both countries were once one country uptill 1947 mean anything to the people on both sides of the line? 

Yes it does. 

There is this common bond of the past, a feeling of kinship. 

We know that politics and politics only is responsible for partition of our country and the following rise of demons of hatred, wars and terrorism..... 

To be continued....