And I am back. Its been a long gap. Not that I didn't write last week, but its just that didn't publish it as I felt that it was too personal a thing to be shared. But yesterday strangely enough, in one day itself, two things happened which forced me to write even when it is not my free day.
I have always believed that train travel gives you the best possible lessons of life with relevant examples in remarkably short span of time. Exactly that happened yesterday.
While I was on my way to office, I met a friend in the train. We had met after two years. But there was not much excitement in my voice or in my body language, as she had just been a classmate. We had never even bothered to exchange phone numbers with each other. But of course, the relationship had always be cordial. The conversation started on the usual hows life, how are things note. She got excited hearing that I was a journo (people generally attach unnecessary glamour to the field). She was getting married and was visibly gung-ho about it. After every two lines the conversation would veer in that direction. But throughout what remained constant was her 'pleasure' on having met me after so long. She was happy, genuinely happy on having met me after a gap of two years.
Contrast this with the other experience I had while returning home. In the train, I met another dear friend of mine. She too was returning from work. I was happy catching up with her after so long. But unfortunately I couldn't say so about her. We spoke about work, life, family, college memories. But somehow I could sense a disconnect. It was me who was doing the talking for most of the time. The detachment was palpable. I did ask her whether something was wrong. But she said everything was fine.
Distances do either of the two things. Either they bring you close to a person or take you so far mentally that nothing can be done to salvage the relationship. In my case, it did both. It brought someone who was so far really close and took away someone who was very close far away.
Manjiri
