Random Passerby
The other day, I was standing on the sidewalk trying to book a cab on mobile
and all of a sudden, my attention diverted from those little car icons moving on the screen
and went towards the random strangers passing by
for some reason tonight, they didn’t appear like a blur of traffic in some highway
tonight I could sense an epic story unfolding invisibly around me with each passerby
like a complex beehive with elaborate passageways to thousands of other lives
that I never knew existed,
in which I might appear only once like an Extra dancing in a Bollywood song having no role in the plot
“everyone is living a life as vivid and crazy like my own”, I realised
And just like all deep thoughts get killed by push notifications,
the notification from Ola derailed my new found realisation
And….I saw that I booked a Share ride despite only 5% discount off on Micro !!
My thumb was about to hit the Cancel button, but I stopped
I thought I could use some company,
watching these numerous strangers from the sidewalk tonight has given me enough reason to feel lonely
That flirtatious glance, a sympathetic nod, a shared laugh about some odd event on road…
are indeed the smallest measurable unit of human connection exchanged between two strangers
and its these fleeting and random moments that make me feel more human nowadays
and believe in magic
because if there is any magic in this world
it is between this space between me and that passerby…..
the anticipation to lock eyes, that shy attempt to understand each other, sharing something
I know its impossible to succeed but who cares really? The answer must be in the attempt
The cab stopped for the other rider,
and a curious looking girl got in and sat beside me
as I pretended to be busy, listening to music on my earphones
the same pretence when I come here to listen to poetry…..
And witness the flash of real emotion in the audience
idly locked in the middle of a performance
as their eyes glint with vulnerability or quiet anticipation or cosmic boredom
every face scripting a unique story, and the whole room looking like a Backstage of a theatre
and there I am ……….. peeking through the gap in the curtain,
watching stagehands holding their ropes at the ready
actors in costume rehearsing their lines
and wardrobe & furniture being moved in and out
I caught this similar glimpse in my fellow rider as she listened to the car radio
and I wondered what her story could be — did she have a fight with her boss too or does she also think about the world like I do
I stopped this endless laundry of guessing and initiated conversation about guess what?….. “A random passerby”
This and that, this and that…….
and we lost track of time as her stop came before mine
I gently asked if she wanted to stay in touch, she said I won’t mind
we exchanged numbers, shook hands in good-bye
The cab turned around the corner to leave,
my strange realisation of the sidewalk returned in a jiffy
How a simple touch and conversation by someone just did the trick
a feeling of connection so effortlessly simple that it cheapens the power of written word
I guess in a few years, aspiring writers would be better off giving people a hug
And maybe that’s why I came back here from months of endless adventure
searching for inspiration to write,
but the inspiration was always there with every stranger that I talked to
I sometimes wonder if I even come here to perform
or just to catch a glimpse of your faces while everyone else performed