Thought takes speeds more than that of light – Get connected....

That was a winter morning and at the railway station, Shimla. Chill, yes but fine to enjoy. We had boarded the Toy Train from Shimla to Kalka and I walked out as usual to have a glimpse of the place and people. As I peeped in to that tiny compartment, I saw my wife, Usha speaking with Ms. Liloutee, who sat opposite her. They were in deep thoughts and I could see the smiles on both their faces. The train whistled and started its descent down the hills and Usha and I exchanged about our trip that just concluded. Walking around the woods in the hills every morning . The train whistled and moved ahead halting at all stations on the down ward journey. We felt we would have missed the pleasure of this rail journey if Ravinder Singh did not suggest and reserved our tickets. Ravi and Babli drove us up the hill from Amritsar where we stayed with my old friend and colleague. Liloutee got engrossed with her e-Book and read page by page as if the surroundings were of lesser interest than the content she was reading from Kindle note book. My curiosity grew and I asked Usha about her and where she belongs. Liloutee lives in London and with her was her adopted son who was being educated by her, on a cause of charity. I wondered how love and gratitude transcend and take shapes along the Himalayan hills. What made Liloutee provide a holiday for her adopted son coming all the way from UK? By the time we travelled about two thirds of the journey the e-Book was closed and my desire to open a conversation with Liloutee enhanced. I commenced a conversation that opens up in a train. Sooner the discussions went beyond the routine. It was as if we opened up subjects that had different colors and shapes on an architecture that was built by us. It looked as if I was and she did tilt the Kaleidoscope to get across perspectives that emerged with clarity of thoughts. The family probably migrated from India and was in Africa and she moved to UK. Studied psychology and taught this science there. My inquisitive silly question to her – “What do you say when I tell you our mind is like a monkey?” – She whispered in a jiffy – “good”. We went beyond the subject to reading and writing, effect of social media and digital world that encompass the direction of ours and the thoughts of younger generation etc. She quelled and displaced some of my mis-interpretations with logic and deep knowledge. I started correcting my perspectives and a learning process commenced at ease. We alighted at Kalka from where we were to board the same train to Delhi, departed as friends and agreed that we be in touch and with an open invite to visit her house in UK and with an extension for her to be with us in Kerala during her next year’s visit to India. Narrating the points that I appreciated during this very tiny stretch of our journey are interesting. The most interesting point is that a train journey is a better mode than a flight. I recalled my old friend George asking me in a flight from the then Madras to Bombay whether I enjoy the 3rd class sleeper berth vis-à-vis the just fit seat of a flight – we had agreed that it’s the train that makes you connect. The second point is all about communication and if I did not watch Usha opening up with Liloutee, I would not have waited patiently for the e-Book to get closed, oh no “SIGN OUT” - the new terminology. A smile ignites and you start up a chain that leads you to relationships that can last for long. “Learning” is a process that does not have a shelf life or an expiry date – you can initiate with a willingness and attitude that provide you with immense knowledge about people, places and concepts that tend to lead to action that’s worthwhile. In this world of Facebook and other social media or even an ATM, where you may not find real faces, a journey even in a toy train can give you the sense and sensitivity that link to feelings and love that may slowly blossom. Boarders and boundaries are illusions and names and cultures not limitations. My daughter Divya says in today’s world that is nearly a crucible, cultures melt and form new recipes that taste buds of the mind can capture easily to mend and form teams. One can start a new day every time Sun rises on the East and take it along and pursue your intent and couple it with intellect to build bridges. That takes us to unknown frontiers, unseen and not witnessed thus far. Begin with an end in mind - the steps are easier than we believe. The KEY is to START. Knowing that I write Blogs I intend to copy this BLOG to her and mail it to her. Where she is on the day she receives my e-mail, is not a matter, but she sure will get connected to the Shimla-Kalka toy train journey that sparked this topic that you just read.