Tuesday, October 28, 2014

THERE ARE GOOD PEOPLE IN THIS WORLD. ONE OF THEM JUST HAPPENS TO BE MY SISTER!


There are good people in this world. They are not hard to find. They are simply not good at being found. They do not hog the limelight. They simply get on with their lives and carry on as they have always done. They are the least bothered about who are talking about them or not talking about them. But mind you, they are not unaware. In fact they are among the most aware of people you will ever come across in your life. Their awareness however, is not confined to the latest trends or gossips; rather they are oblivious to such ‘news’. Their awareness comes from knowing the people around them, the little things that can be done to spread a smile or ease some pain, believing that lending a helping hand is not a decision to make but an action to take, sharing lessons from their experiences to comfort and guide others is second nature to them.

Yes, there are good people in this world. One of them just happens to be my sister. She recently visited us in Delhi, to be able to celebrate her birthday and also Diwali with us. For most part she is like any other sister in the world; caring and protective, pampering and guiding and we also argue and debate, get upset and hurt. What sets her apart is the innate goodness in her, or maybe she imbibed it from mom; absorbing every little drop like the earth while we are more like rocks or sand. 



(My sister's birthday celebration: she turned... not saying! haha!)

She cares and it is not limited to her family or friends; she just simply cares. While most of us are restrictive or limiting in the way we deal with people around us, there are no borders when it comes to her caring. We have heard anecdotes of her experiences with strangers in her day-to-day life, and while we are always on guard, doubtful of people’s intentions, she somehow finds this invisible thread of humane connectivity with those she meets and it worries us (being overbearing and overprotective brothers that we are!) yet we are left wondering at her and secretly aspire to have such capabilities.

On one of her flights, she began conversing with her fellow passengers, among them a young man in particular. I had wondered about the update of her new friendship on Facebook and later realised it was the same guy. He told her about his visit and his girlfriend and how her birthday was coming up. He was at a loss and had no idea what to do or what to buy. Sister was in her element and told him to surprise her – take a day off, buy a gift and plan a surprise. He admitted to being no good at such things and I think she told him to buy flowers and chocolates if he cannot think of what she likes for a gift. He later introduced his girlfriend to her (over the phone or on FB) who thanked her for making her birthday special. Since then they have been in touch with each other. His then girlfriend has become his wife and they have recently welcomed a new member to their family.

She can talk! If you come across anyone who has met her, they can vouch for her ability to talk. It may tread on some bizarrely funny ideas, concepts or idle imaginations, or may throw down a guiding light on someone or something lost in their darkness, or may lift up spirits and cheer up sad hearts and souls, or bridge the gaps of awkward silences we have a habit of leaving in between conversations. Whatever shape or form, one thing stands out: it is never pretentious. This must be the reason why she can connect with so many different people.

During the last years of her stay in Singapore, we had gone to visit her. She was staying as a paying guest and the house owners were a family of three – husband, wife and their young daughter. It was at this time that the wife’s mother came to visit them from Chennai. Granny did not speak a single word of Hindi or English. Over the next few days, an unlikely friendship developed between her and my sister. We would often wonder and even comment on how they managed to communicate with each other. Imagine our surprise when they went out shopping. It was a sight to see them cooking a meal together in the kitchen, each speaking a different language, heavily gesticulating, smiling and laughing. A year later, she invited my sister for a family wedding in Chennai. Sister accepted as it would mean revisiting the erstwhile Madras city where she was born. She is still in touch with the family much like the way she has kept in touch with the people in her life, even her old primary school friends.

As we geared up for her arrival, on the eve of her flight landing here, brother and I were discussing about her trouble with excess baggage. It is a sight of wonder if you ever find her travelling light! Surely, the next day as my brother waited for her at the gate, he saw her barely managing to push a cart loaded with luggage. How much have you brought? My brother remarked. She said, “Arrey! This is not mine. This is uncle’s and auntie’s luggage.” It came as no surprise that she had made an uncle and an aunt of the old couple she met on her flight. They were struggling with their luggage and she helped them. They even offered her and my brother a drop back home. But my brother had already booked a cab.

Like anyone else, she has her dreams. Her dreams are never materialistic; if they are it is because someone else associates closely with those ‘materials’. Like any dream, the path to its fruition comes with its own troubles and hindrances. She has encountered several on her way. What helps her is of her own making too; her steely determination and unwavering perseverance.  It is because of this that she has achieved what she has today. Unlike her, most of us lack the sheer passion and drive, walking sluggishly towards our dreams; some of us have already given up on our long held dreams. Life and its many diversions muddle our vision and weaken our resolutions.

Dreams never cease to be born. As we grow and evolve, they take shape in the new us and new dreams are born. She is now following her new dream and like any other time, it has brought some obstacles and problems along with it. There are always moments of doubt and clarity we experience in everything we do. She has gone through some really low phase and some remarkable high points. She is continuing her journey and we are fully supporting her. She believes in hard work but she is practical too. It has worked out well all these years and it will do her good in future as well.

And as I sit alone in a crowd of my office colleagues, I realize that I have learned so much from her. If I am still carrying on with my writing, even if not as diligently as I would have liked to, it is because by just observing the way she lives I get an unknown yet familiar strength within me to keep on persisting and walking towards my dream. That is the sign of good people. They are those who inspire others around them, just by living.

Love you sis. Always be you. Always be inspiring.

2 comments:

  1. Wow! Simply awesome. And yes sisters happen to be good, in fact the best of all of them.

    ReplyDelete

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