Do you know what I love the most about travelling solo? You often run into random people, share a few moments of intense knowingness and then part ways most likely to never meet again. They carry with them a part of you and you a part of them.
Exactly a year ago on the same day, I was returning home from Uttarkashi ( That’s me, all tanned after a month’s stay at Uttarkashi). I had taken a flight from Dehradun to Bangalore and there was a 4-hour layover at the Delhi airport.
As I had nothing else to do I chose to sit down on one of the stairs, took out my sketchbook and began sketching. It took me a while to notice that there was a crowd slowly gathering a little ahead of me. They were looking at something on the floor and then at each other with pitiful faces. Intrigued by the situation, I did a quick survey of the scene to find a lady probably in her late 60s, almost in tears peeking from behind a wall. I followed her gaze. It was a little boy around 2 years old in an episode of Toddler Meltdown.
The lady was his grandmother, utterly helpless about the situation, she was watching over him from a distance hoping that he would stop crying and look for her. But the boy kept crying. A while later to avoid the crowd gathering, she picked up the boy with all her strength and walked towards the stairs. I kept watching, unsure of how to help her out. But, as she walked towards me our eyes met and I instantly gestured for her to sit with me. She responded with a stressed smile and sat beside me, the boy was still crying. And then I did something I am terrible at – strike up a conversation!
Being a kid magnet, it was easy for me to make a connection with the boy. We sat there and talked for a while, the boy was smiling now. Since it was Christmas time, the place was beautifully decorated and we decided to take a walk. We ran around the place for hours playing Running and Catching. “Didi… Star!!!” he yelled pointing at a huge blue star hanging from the ceiling of a store. We quickly ran to the counter and requested the staff for a star. Initially, they refused but couldn’t ignore his cuteness and handed him a star, and a Santa cap and also clicked selfies with him (I too managed to click 1 with the little celebrity). His granny was so happy, we shared parathas and coffees and talked about life until it was time for our flights.
Exactly a year later, here I am at the airport waiting for my flight, looking forward to another fulfilling trip. Aayaan would have grown a year older now, wonder if he remembers his ‘Didi’.