Today I met a girl with the brightest smile in the metro. She spoke impeccable English with a convent diction. She was dressed in salwar kameez, a modest clothing but very bhadra, I assumed her to be a very bright studious Delhi University student. After She started the conversation, I asked if she was in DU to which she responded with a hesitant smile followed by an apologetic “no”. She works at an Australian BPO and did her bachelor’s from IGNOU. Her sister got married and so she is the eldest at home amongst three more siblings and has to take everyone’s responsibilities. She told me that she was coming from a temple. She asked ” Do you visit the temple ” to which I replied with an emphatic “Yes”. No one from my generation had asked me this question before. Before I deboarded at Rajiv Chowk, I said “It was great meeting you”. And she replied :
” Then say Hare Krishna!”
Another first!
I feel the world is unjust to this bright girl who is much more intelligent and sensible than many of my peers, and she did not get an opportunity to study because she has to feed her family of five. Her circumstances couldn’t bog her down and she wears that bright smile with elan. In today’s society, our sense of self comes from our money. People who do not have that given to them need a sense of self cultivated through culture, morality and a comforting belief in a higher power. And I see nothing wrong in that. Today, this girl taught me how to be happy, to smile and spread positivity. Many great sophisticated intellectuals theorize on great things and are horrible human beings and can learn from others, especially this girl, how to live.
Clustering Thoughts 