Everyday Angels

Do you believe in the existence of ghosts? Caught your attention, didn't I? The subject of spirits and ghosts tends to do that. It brings out excitement and gives one goose bumps. People sit around and rack their brains for the scariest ghost stories they have experienced, heard or read.

But surprisingly, no one asks each other if they believe in angels. Maybe because we encounter angels almost everyday. Only it is not an extra ordinary situation. Angels come in the form of any of us. Any other normal person can actually be your angel. Do you remember when was the last time you were really thankful because a complete stranger or even an acquiantance for that matter helped you, when you thought you were deep in trouble?

I remember one such incident in my life. This was back in 2006-07 when I was in college. I had gone to the old part of my city very unimaginatively called "Old Bhopal" or more unimaginatively called "City". Although the reasons that took me there now completely elude my memory, but I do remember that I was standing at one of the busiest road of Bhopal -- Bharat Talkies. I was supposed to catch a mini bus to go back home and unfortunately I was standing at the opposite side of the road. A bus came in and I signaled it to stop. Always desperate for more passengers than it can handle, the bus stopped.

"J K Road??" I shouted from the other end of the road.

JK Road!! JK Road!! Said the conductor, moving his hand fast asking me to come quickly since it is obviously difficult to stand in such a heavily moving traffic.

People who know me well might have guessed what happens next. I am terrified of crossing roads. However I tried, I just could not muster the courage to cross that terrible road. I would take one step ahead and two steps back.

"jaldi chalo , Jaldi" I heard a voice. I never saw his face. From the back, he looked like those 19-20 year old tapori boys who do nothing but smoke at the corner of a road and stare at girls. He signaled me from behind to follow him. Relieved, I did. He maneuvered his way through the traffic, showed his hand for one or two vehicles to pause for a moment and led me to my bus.

"So, big deal!" you think. He would have to cross the road himself. Right? I thought the same thing and selfishly enough, did not thank him. But when I still looked back, he was walking back to the other end of the road with same expert gestures.

I should have thanked him.

But unless of course , you have not had your hand squeezed blue by me while crossing a road, you will not understand why the faceless stranger's favor seemed such an important gesture to me.

I have heard many such stories from people around me. One friend told me how he was an angel to some one else and gave some of his petrol to a guy who was dragging his scooter on the road.

Rahul (the husband of course) took a couple to the hospital who met with an accident in front of us. (Already driving in a speed of above 80 kmph, this couple went flying past us when they hit a speed breaker they obviously didn't slow down at) He stayed with them for a very long time till at least the guy was back in his senses and was awake enough to take care of his girl and it was late in the night. (I am such a proud wife!!) They sent him a heartfelt thank you message the next day.

I remember another friend telling me how a cab driver helped her to reach from Gurgaon to Noida and did not take a penny in return! He must be God re incarnated because you don't find such people in Delhi. Talking of Delhi, I overheard the following dialogue taking place behind me in IBM's Okhla office over the phone. For heads up, one of the girls had left her phone in the bus.

"Yes, she is my friend! Yes!Its her phone." I heard another girl say with a slight rise in her volume out of excitement. She handed her phone to girl A.

"Yes, that's my phone! I am in Okhla. Are you coming here? Thank you so much sir!!"

Not only did that person return the phone, he personally came to give it back. A perfect example of angels around us.

Goodness has not completely abandoned milky way as yet. Hopefully, it will never.

Now I slightly change my question and ask you, "Do you believe in angels?"

May there be lots of love in this world!