Friday 10 March 2006

A Child's Smile

We dont live in a very "happy" world. In the rush-rush, mundane, humdrum, drab life...there are really not many things that can bring a smile to your face and at the same time, fill a certain endearing warmth in your heart, that melts the frigid coldness, that the aches of everyday routine freeze in you. One such ingenious and miraculous occurance is A Child's Smile.

Everyday, when I step into the metro/train, I happen to come across the same routine stuff. People, lots of different kinds of people...but hardly any of them ever have smiles on their faces. Maybe because its the time of the evening, when people are coming back from work and are drained out from a day of labour. "What are they thinking?", I sometimes wonder to myself. "Is that lady over there wondering what she'll have to cook tonight or deciding on who will take the dog out for a stroll in the morning? And there, the girl leaning on the pole, what is going on in her mind? Did she not do well in her test today or did she get scolded by a teacher because she was talking in class? And over there, that man with the typical grey overcoat...what is he thinking about? His next project or about the discussion he had with his boss today?"

As I usually stand at some corner of the train, and trying to guess the thoughts in the minds of people...I look into my own thoughts. I replay my day, which is sometimes not a pleasant thing to do at all! Some memories make me smile to myself while some just make me break out from my dreaminess and land me right back to the harsh reality.

In the midst of all this, a door opens. Now you can call this the door of the train, or the door to some moments of joy. And through the door, glides in a soulful bundle of delight. As if on cue, all heads turn, and this little angel becomes the centre of attention. Sacked up in bulky little pink clothes, the little-wonder tightly grasps the finger of an adult, who's presumably her mother. Her eyes, were large and darted from one place to another, as if scanning the train compartment to find something of interest. She might have seen everything as big and brown, tall and overbearing, dark and gloomy...which it was, compared to her bright pink attire. It was as if, the brightness of her clothes, lit up the room...but then again...it might not have been her clothes...just her presence was enough for that.

While observing her, I also glanced around, and what I saw really amused me. All these people with preoccupied thoughts had tranformed into smiling invididuals, who were totally engrossed in watching the little kid, as much as I was. They probably didnt even realise it, but each and every person looking at her had a slight smile on his/ her face...and then I realised, I probably had a smile on my face too. All that I was thinking about seemed to have taken a backseat...and at that moment, the only attraction was that little bundle of joy...who was trying very hard to get out of her pram!

Then...while her darting eyes hopped from one view to another...they looked right at me. Instinctively, I smiled at her. I mean, why would I not? And then...she smiled right back at me...and at that moment, I felt such a strange kind of happiness...that is really quite inexplicable. I dont even know that child, and an innocent smile got me to feel better about myself...as if i'd achieved something. Just a moment of physical gesture, was enough to swipe away a day's worth of drearyness.

I dont know what Magic is....and If it exists in the true sense. But I think, the only way you can describe moments like this are by just one word...Magical...

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

omg nehy...u noe, i totali agree wid u! jus 1 smile from a little baby (aka toddler aka child...dere babies 2 me neway...ahh i feel so budhi!) is enuff 2 make my day! And i luv da adorable way in which dey can find a way 2 smile in ne situation...coz of da innocence daz still present! And aww...dose half grown teeth are enuff 2 hav me wanting to pick up a baby...and jus eat it! :P hehehe...dnt wori...i iznt a cannibal :P:P actuali...we did sumin reli interestin in 1 of our lessons; we wer lukin at genotypes and we went on a bug stimulation thing...and UV radiation wud turn mutate dem, so i turned it up 2 full...and all of dem turned into cannibals! and dey all killed each ova and dere was blood... :P lol..ok ok...u reli dnt want 2 noe da rest...:D

Incidentali, i saw a lil gori baby on da bus 2day, n she wud jus walk up 2 ne1 and shake their hand...n it was sooo adorable! ur so rite...magic is da word coz wen an ickle child is in front of me, i feel lyk im under a magic spell! and aww...dnt u jus luuv da feeling of a baby clutching ur finger reli tightly in its little hand...n refusin 2 let go!

okay...uv got me all mushy now...so i mus b off coz i fink ur wonderin where iv gone in da confie :P

cyaz ma dahlin,
luv Chandy :P

Anonymous said...

btw...gori as in angrez...not gory (i noe i always replace my ys wid my i's but not dis tym)...coz u noe babies rnt gory at all :D

The Rebel said...

wow.. that was an incredible post. i would say ur best till now, in the blogging world. :)

that was so unlike u, this post. it was almost poetic. i had told u once, about this shortcoming in ur write-ups, that sometimes they seemed very bland and emotionless, but yeah you have worked on it this time around, and the result is great.

babies ...well they are the real saints. there heart is so pure & innocent, without any bias or hatred for anyone.

i've also experienced similar incidents many times, mostly during the 1st year of my college when i used 2 travel in local buses. and yeah it is magical to say the least...

so wen r u planning to hav ur own baby? miss baby lover... :p

Anonymous said...

tmay...wot a question 2 ask man..lol...abhi tho nehy khud hi bachi hai ;) ahahah...i sound lyk sum budhi auntyji...actuali...wait...wudn da auntyji encourage nehy 2 get married n hav kids early? i am so damn confused! kya tum mohammed ali ho? :P

cyaz,
moi x

Neha said...

Replies

Chandy: hehe..wow...that was a completely and typically Chandy-ishtyle :P:P!! Btw...interesting thing u were doing there in class :P!
and Lol..u had me wondering about the "gori" baby :P!! Little babies are just toooo adorable!! Nothing is sweeter than a child smiling at u!!

Tanmay: Hehe...well this blog thing seemed to be just the place to pour out all i couldnt elsewhere ( u know where :P)...hence..this writing :)!! LOL...baby of my own??? That'll have to wait for a LOOOONG Time!!!

Anuj Bhatnagar said...

This is one of the best pieces of words that I have read in recent times. Wish I could write something like that.

I always try to look for happiness all around me. I look for happiness even in those small things of life that we tend to overlook or take for granted. Babies, even if they are sleeping, bring a smile to your face whenever you look at them, and your description of that encounter with the baby girl is soothing and endearing to every reader.

To look at this blog from a different point of view, I sometimes wish I sould write the way you've just written. Sadly, I don't think I have the flair for writing such remarkable extracts in as similar and beautiful words as you.

Wonderful!

Anuj

Nirwa Mehta said...

Very well written blog!!

I can communicate very well with children.. our age coincide.. the child's physical + mental and my mental.. :P :P :P

Good one! :)

Nirwa

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