Touch…
IT was a bright morning when i, along with my friends went to see off Hari to the railway station. as i stepped into the railway station i realized that S too was in the station to catch a train. she was with few of her friends (who were to travel with her) and boyfriend of one of her friends (he had come to see off them). i knew him but had never spoken to him. he always appeared like a angry young man because of the news i had got about him and his famous ‘ground breaking’ fights. i wasnt feeling comforatble to be with him for i dint have any good opinion about him, who i saw as a goonda a voilent fellow!!! but i couldnt walk off as S‘s train was about to come and there was a lot of luggage. so i waited somehow telling myself “its ok just ten more minutes”.
the train arrived and WE put the luggage in. the train started moving…. his girl friend came near the door peeped out and sent him her love through air as the train kept moving on thousand wheels. the train had left the platform and i turned towards this guy, who to me was a hard-hearted goonda, and to my surprise he was fighting back tears!!!! it reminded me of a story that Varadesh sir once told me:
“once Dr.S.Radhakrishnan went to meet Stalin. DR.S.R spoke very affectionately to Stalin touching his cheek and patting on his back and Stalin started crying like a child!! wiping off the tears that flowed down the cheek which had received a ‘human touch’ just few moments earlier Satlin said “no one ever spoke to me so affectionately with so much of love”.
narrating this story Varadesh sir said “there is a human element in every human being. we need to touch it, thats all”.
for the first time i saw a human in that boy who always appeared like a goonda to me. may be his girlfriend touched that human element in him like none. i felt ashamed for haveing seen him as a goonda and for having failed to see that human element in him. my limitation! or may be my bias!
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few days ago i was sitting with Raviraj and Mukund outside the Air-Tel office as it was raining heavily and we went on talking till the rain stopped. our long conversation was dominated by Ravi’s experience of reading ‘Five points someone’. he was describing Cherian, the lecturer and Neha’s Dad. he told how strict and scary he was. i am told that Cherian cried, which is not likely of him, when he read the letter written by his son to his daughter before comiting sucide!
as Ravi narrated this part again i was reminded of the story that Varadesh sir once told me, about DR.S.Radhakrishnan and Stalin.
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a touh of human hand will surely make this world a better place to live…. love, affection and care for human fraternity will re-establish humanity…. THERE IS A HUMAN ELEMENT, as Varadesh sir said, IN ALL HUMAN BEING. WE NEED TO TOUCH IT, THATS ALL!!!
08 Jul 2007.
Crazy Mind's Eye 
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