ADDICTION

The other day, I was travelling back to Hyderabad from Bangalore. I got in to the bus. An elderly couple was sending off their young girl to their relative’s house. I was made sit beside her. The women gave multiple instructions to her daughter and the driver. The bus started. She waved her daughter until she disappeared.

I felt, children can grow up, but parents can never grow up to the stage of accepting the thought that their child can manage on their own.

I was happy. I hate journeys and I was wishing for someone to talk. And here was a girl of my age and we both face the same sadness (mummy's emotional attyachar) of going away from parents for a few days. Well this girl was very nice. I didn't feel the boredom of the journey. It’s like we were friends before. We spoke about everything possible in the world. We also discussed about religion, science, movies, boys, role models, Mother Teresa and all. It was a nice journey. Our talking was going on and on...

We were hungry and the bus stopped somewhere. All the passengers got down to have their dinner at a nearby dhaba. We had our food packed. So we chose to sit in the bus and eat. No sooner did we start eating an old man was standing in front of us. He was thin, weak. His right hand and right side of the body were paralyzed. He smelled all the drugs and medications. He was travelling alone. It felt like hardly he can manage to walk. We felt pity. He wanted me to open his tiff-in box from his bag. I did as he signaled me. I opened his bag, took out his tiff-in box, took out the spoon, put his water bottle beside him and helped him eat. He ate as if he were hungry for ages .He was stinking. I hated it. I was hungry even. But I grew sympathetic. I felt pity for this old man. I thought let him eat first. But still I helped him. He ate. I was contended that i did not get in to a medical college. I felt, just to help a half paralyzed man, a little part of my heart was hesitating and reluctant, hats off to mother. She went out in to the slums and helped to the extent she can.

Meanwhile the passengers, bus driver got in. We all thought if the bus starts earlier we can reach home early. The driver stared the bus. Suddenly someone told driver to stop the bus. We thought there might be an emergency. But to my surprise it was the old man we helped. He was requesting the driver to stop the bus. I further inquired and to my shock i came to know that this old man was asking the driver to stop for five minutes so that he can smoke. Damn. I regret helping him. This guy when he was denied to get down the bus, he started smoking in the bus only. I felt anger, at the same time I was laughing...SOME PEOPLE NEVER CHANGE.

Whatever may happen to that Old man? I don't care.

Addictions are strange. People are strange... weird...