Rainy days! Means what? Romantic for lovers, irritating for those who go out and work and melancholic for those who have time to think. For me rain is right now a way to kill summer blues! And I like it. Truly speaking, I do not have much time to think because I have a kid full time at home: (Orkut lingo!)
But today I would share an experience with you which changed the way I used to reflect on certain issues.
It was a season of monsoon and most of the times the sky was cloudy and evenings were followed by heavy rains and storms, called Kal Baisakhi in Bengali. On such a cloudy evening I went to take private tuition after college on a rickshaw, as I did thrice a week. Most of the time during this rickshaw ride, I keenly observed people, houses, huts, bazaars, shops, temples mosques, stray dogs and other animals available on the roads in Assam. Of course sometimes I used to immerse deep down into my thoughts as well. So much so that I would not see where I had to stop and the rickshaw walah would tell me ‘Didibhai, koi jaitai aslai?’ (Where you were supposed to go?) Then I would be shocked to realize that I had come past my destination, at least one kilometer. But on that day I was alert, so was watching people getting busy in winding up their day and going back to home.
Sun was setting, but small girls and boys refused to end their play in the grounds where cattle were busy grazing. Exhausted labors, came to work in the city, were on there way back to their villages. Students like me were rushing to reach in time to their respective private tutors. Sounds of Conch shells and Kashi (a metallic thick plate hit by a wooden stick to make sound) coming out of Hindu homes and Mandirs. Sound of Azan was coming out of a nearby Mosque. I followed the sound and saw Muslim people were busy in washing their hands, face and feet. I knew they do it before performing Uju each time. There were a lot of people in the Mosque and more entering. I was just watching and suddenly a sound from my inside told me, ‘If I could throw a bomb on that Mosque right now! Then…’ I hope you know what it means.
I reached my private tutor’s home imagining myself as a super hero causing a bomb blast. Came back to reality when one of my classmates told me that sir had cancelled the tuition today, because the sky was showing the signs of dangerous rainstorm. I felt upset, but when I saw the sky, I knew that sir had made a correct decision. But I was stranded! I already had left my rickshaw walah. Suddenly there was no one in the road, and a few rickshaw walahs were peddling very fast towards their homes, denying calls from the passengers. Suddenly there was no light; and no human around me. It was so dark that I could rarely see a house on the left of me, a few paces away. The storm had already started, and it was raining heavily. I was so much afraid of the whole scenario that I forgot to open my umbrella, but then it would not have helped me either because of the strong wind.
I somehow managed to walk up to the verandah of that house. There was not streetlight as well. When there would be rain, there would be a power cut. I stood there, with a cow which also was looking for a shelter. Trust me, there was no one on the street and I was not quite familiar with the area. Shivering in cold as I was drenched totally in the rainwater, I waited for the storm to stop. Several minutes passed by, but it continued with same frenzy and fury.
Now that I was sure my family would call up my private tutor to know my whereabouts, I knew that my younger brother and ma would come out in the rain looking for me. But how would they find me in the dark? I hated myself for not staying there in my tutor’s home, what a fool I was! But then, that stormy evening had to teach me a lesson of life! So I was there standing, dripping wet, in a stormy night, on an unknown verandah.
After half an hour I guess, I heard a few voices talking, and then I saw a hint of light coming through the slit of the door of the house where I was standing. I just stayed where I did, not knowing what to do then. A man and two women came out with a torch. They saw me, the woman in sari, reacted sympathetically. She welcomed me inside the home. I told her that I was alright and I would leave as soon as the rain stopped. But all of them including the guy insisted that I should not stand like that in the rain. I somehow was convinced that I was standing on the verandah of a home where there people like us lived. So, I decided to go in. They spoke to me and asked me where I lived and why I was into this mess. I told them the stories of my foolishness. I came to know that the man of was a doctor practicing in local medical college. He promised to drop me home when the rain would stop. After a few minutes I found myself a bit consoled, so I had one cup of tea in the candlelit room.
When I was sipping my tea the power came back. I saw the faces of those women and man clearly for the first time. The woman did not have the hint of ‘Sindur’ on her forehead, so I thought she must be a widow. She asked me to go to another room and collect my wet scarf which she took to let it dry. I went there and got the shock of my life!
I saw calendars of Muslim beliefs were hanging on that wall and things related to Muslim religion were scattered here and there. ‘So, they are Muslims’, I told myself and started counting my heartbeat. I had learnt never to believe Muslims. I realized that they did not ask me my name, where I lived and what I studied in which college were the discussed topics.
By then, the storm outside had subsided. So the man, the doctor was getting ready to take me to my home. We came out and found knee high water on the roads, uncle (I addressed him) was happy to help me walk through clogged water. I was continuously chanting my Guru’s mantra and left everything on God.
Finally I saw the gate of my house and met my brother and my ma there. They were coming out in the water to look for me. My mother saw me and came running towards me. My family sighed in relief. So did I. They thanked that doctor, I thanked my God and yes that Muslim man, by now I really addressed him ‘uncle’. He happily handed me over to my Mom and bid goodbye. The man was a happy spirit, always smiling. I never had seen him again though! But I would remember him all my life.
Now, what do you think I have learnt from this incident? I know there is no need to explain.
Today, I do not hate people because of their religion anymore. Because I have set other legitimate parameters depending on which I decide if I should hate someone. I am thankful to my life for what it has taught me at the early stage of my life ….
Humanity, above all, rules!
