Finally homebound

 

Another set of tasks completed; cities visited, accounts
captured, bridges built and promises made and received.

 

Went on to try mostly all of the Indian joints we have in
the Chicago downtown, and found the same typical Indian behavior in all of them
except one – “India House”. Rest of them look at your skin color, and as usual
even the most ordinary fair skin gets faster and better attention than people
from back home.

 

When wavelengths match, building bridges comes in naturally;
and that what happened during the trip from Chicago to Madison on a Greyhound
bus. The ladythat boarded the bus from Milwaukee and chose to sat beside me,
greeted me and we started of from there on. The thirty +/- lady of Cambodian
origin had much to share about the land she has chosen to live now and to get
out a number of my so called wisdom and one liners. My favorite pass time,
discussing anything and everything under the sun; from politics to economy and
to social life to religion. Never knew how the time fled and we parted at
Madison exchanging email Ids and cards.

 

Meeting someone two months younger than you, with whom you
share most of your childhood fights and growing up, in her own life, at her
home – it’s an experience beyond compare. And as a bonus I got two little
angels, Rua and Smia; one sharp as Sheffield Knife and the other free as a
hilly spring. The time flew and we played and read and made merry; the
chocolates and books were given, bring joy to them and much more to the giver.
Thanks to someone I remembered the gift I always like to give.

 

As if to prove the point, the rain followed me here too, and
the sweet voice just before the trip, set the tone. The last leg of the journey
was the most successful as a number of avenues for the future were established.
And I went to soak myself in the rain, absorbed her through all possible pores,
and still wanted more.

 

 Finally the body
caught up with me. As I kept on punishing it, it reminded me of its limitations
too. Thankfully I was in the hand of a experienced medical practitioner, and I
was given enough supply to last till I reach the safety of my shelter.

 

And so I begin my hike back to my land. Amazingly lots of
people waiting to speak, and I am not speaking; while I was dying to hear some
and I was not getting the chance. I know how much my heart is aching to
indulge; yet time has taught me to control my emotions; life has taught me to
exercise restraint. Restraint is essential, not for me, but for those whose
happiness might be compromised. A person who wants to give, can not expect to
jeopardize lives of someone for a bit of self indulgence. And then, I do not
keep any regrets. Hope is still there, yet the future shows otherwise.

 

Seems lot has happened, huge amount of water has passed
through Ganga, and the scenario must have changed considerably. Need to catch
up, need to go back to normalcy – until another call for work decides to take
me away.

 

 

Isn’t it amazing? Each city I visited, the rain followed me.
When I left Delhi it rained here, heard that it didn’t rain since. When waiting
in the lobby of a five star hotel near the Delhi airport waiting for the
transport of the coach to the domestic airport for my last flight – I saw it
started raining. Is it really what I believe or am I seeing what I want to see?