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.
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.
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