Old post alert:
My blogger account isn't accessible to me at the moment but
on days like this, I feel that I MUST write despite the glitches. And so, let
me narrate yet another memory from the diary of Dreamer Hello:
So I had the privilege of being a part of a tea expo at
Umsning, Meghalaya as a volunteer today. I was told that I'd be paid for the
work and would also get the hifi complimentary lunch and snacks. Being a
college student with a limited pocket money and apps like Myntra, Shein and
Amazon on your phone often make you a money chasing, perenially broke and
forever hungry person who is always ready to sacrifice on free time for free
food and extra money. So, I had agreed to volunteer at this tea expo and went
there and dedicatedly rendered my services to the lady who had hired me. She
too was extremely kind to me throughout the day. I wasn't having a happening day
but things weren't dull either. She even made me milk tea (one of my favorite
beverages) just cause I said I felt like eating something.
The lunch at the expo was nowhere near my hyped up
expectations. To be honest, I just got rice, dal and a mix veg I didn't like.
But that was still so much better than the shit they serve at my hostel. And by
dusk, we had left Umsning and were on our way to Shillong. It was drizzling
outside but that was soothing when combined with the smooth highway and calm
music. My 'boss' for the day was a loaded lady and she was displeased with the
lunch, so we stopped at a local shop
where she got us momos and tea. Now I am not a momo person but then like I
said, free food and kind gestures are always appreciated by me. After the quick
snack break, we resumed our journey to Shillong and in my heart of hearts I was
hoping that my 'boss for the day' would offer to drop me at Shillong and not
Mawlai (Mawlai is where she lives & also
a place I have never before been to & also a place whose cab points
are not known to me). I was expecting that she'd deliberately offer the
extended lift since she had said "You're just like my daughter, don't call
me Ma'am. Call me Aunty", being pleased with my buttering skills. However,
I was up for some disappointment that way. But then, always know that I prepare
for different possibilities well in advance. So I had Rapido right in front of my eyes, on snooze,
waiting for some angelic rider to cross by and accept my ride. We reached her
house and the car didnt move past the house and so I had to get down, thank
her, kiss her on both cheeks (a Shillong culture I'm not very comfortable with)
and bid adieu for the day.
Luckily for me, I had found an angelic rider who agreed to
drop me to my hostel at Motinagar. By
now, the rain had stopped as well. Now, a thing to note about Shillong's
weather is its unpredictibility that overpowers even a Geminian's mood swings!
After much stupid descriptions of the location on my part, my Rapido rider
arrived. We took off and I started enjoying the chilly wind touching my cheeks.
I tend to daydream when overwhelmed and so I was in another land when,
suddenly, out of absolutely nowhere, the Shillong rains began. It was a HEAVY
downpour. I had a jacket on but was still shivering like crazy. I had an
umbrella in my bag but it was a source of embarrasment cause it was broken
beyond description. But the shower was too strong to show and be a macho girl.
My Rapido rider was an extremely kind middle aged Khasi man. He stopped the
Scooty and asked me to use my umbrella. He said he'd ride slowly so that the
wind doesn't overturn my fragile umbrella. But like I said, the umbrella was
near dead, and this mild exposure to the wind, did it for my poor umbrella. Now
I was left offguard to deal with that heavy shower all the way from Police
Bazaar to Motinagar without a raincoat, umbrella or even a hanky on my head (to
provide me a fake sense of protection). My rider had his rain coat on and I was
wondering that if I had brought my
shampoo bottle along then I would've easily been able to wash my oily hair
while heading homewards. People talk about blinding heat and here I was dealing
with blinding rains. After a struggle of about 15-20 minutes I finally reached
my hostel. My rider said, "I feel pity for you" and I said,
"No...its fine yaa" while what I wanted to say was, "I pity me
more than you".
That was the end of the Rapido story.
Coming back to my room with water dropping down from every
garment and part of my body, I was told by my roommate that they had given
Samosa with the evening tea and she had saved one for me. That last part of her
sentence was enough to compensate for all the shitty things that had happened
to me throughout the day, including the Rapido disaster.
So as I sit with my hot cup of chai and cold samosa now, I
feel like thanking the heavens and everybody around me for the kindness they
exhibit in their tiny little gestures. My roommate saving me a Samosa (knowing
that I love, love, LOVE samosas), my boss treating me like her daughter &
feeding me, my Rapido rider being so gentle and considerate....all add up to
making mundane days stand out with warm memories. Doesn't it feel good when God
sends you an earning opportunity just when you badly need money!? Isn't it
wonderful when you realize that your good actions may not necessarily get
recognized but they always, ALWAYS get rewarded in some way or the other!?
Life is full of blessings if you know to count them right. I
am still not done counting mine but I do hope that each of you making it to the
end of this piece atleast begin being grateful for something or the other that
happens in your day, every day of your life.
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