The Day I Forgot To Carry My Companion Along…

How are you? I hope you’re enjoying the monsoon.

First of all, I’d want to apologize for skipping the last weekend’s blog. I couldn’t write a blog because my Mom had a fall, and consequently, I had to take over the house chores and give her complete bed rest.

After all, Moms get their share of rest only when they fall ill, isn’t it?

I worked throughout the day with a long face. My Dad thought that I was mad at them as I had to work and that that had spoiled my entire weekend. 🔊 Listen to Post

But it was only my Mom who understood the reason behind my sad face. “Her blog didn’t go live this weekend. That is why she’s upset”, she had rightly guessed and clarified it to my father.

Though I missed the weekly ritual, I wouldn’t miss my daily night ritual. I read in bed every night. On Monday, the first day of the week, when I dug into my bag to reach out to my book, to my despair, I could not find it. And that was the time I remembered I hadn’t carried my companion along as I had left it by my bedside on Sunday night and forgotten to keep it back in my office bag in the morning.

This was for the very first time I forgot to carry a book in my bag.

While I sat on the seat of the local, I simply checked out the long string of cosmetics that the salesman had hanged in the middle and was standing at the door. And I was so happy to at last have found the nail file that I was searching (actually only wishing to have it) for such a long time.

I immediately bought it for 20 bucks and as I had nothing to do on the train I used the file and started giving shape to my grown nails (I maintained my nails back in college days and loved applying different nail paint shades on the elongated nails).

After finishing my unusual act of shaping my nails on a train, I looked around and saw a bunch of zombies tucked into their only-so-called-entertainer, the mobile phone.

On other days, my neck is bent into the book I’m reading, to get disturbed by these zombies on the train.

But now I had no other resource to engage myself into. I’ve also stopped using earphones while I travel. I believe it disconnects you from the world around.

Instead, why not be attentive and empathetic to the living beings around you. Only then can you understand the human species in a better way.

But something happened on my way from Kurla to Vashi that I wished I had my earphones with me at that very moment.

At Chembur, a girl boarded the train and sat right next to me. I don’t know what got to her, she put on her earphones and began humming some song.

She did that until we were on Vashi bridge (the bridge links the suburb of Mankhurd in Mumbai with Vashi in Navi Mumbai). My right ear felt as if a honey bee is continuously humming inside it, making an irritating sound.

I just could not take it. At one point, I felt I should just tell her to stop it for once. Though she enjoyed the song thoroughly and exhibited her happiness with this hum-business, I thought she should have been a little considerate about others too.

Unable to bear the weird and annoying sound I just got out from my place and got ready to de-board the train. I prefered standing there for a few minutes than listening to intolerable music.

I thought that if only I hadn’t forgotten to bring my book I wouldn’t have to go through this. A book takes you to a different world of ups and downs that you forget the world around you even exists. But at the same time, you aren’t entirely ignorant to the people around you. Your ears are always open, isn’t it?

If not for the book, I wish I had my earphones with me, it would have saved me from her not-so-sweet-hum.

Love,
Shradz

P.S. If an earphone disconnects you from the outside world, a book connects you to two worlds – one inside you and the other portrayed in the book.

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