Two Stuff Parathas!
“Oh Damn” I cried out in frustration as soon as I saw the email. Nothing could ever go right.
I had had a good night’s sleep and woken up at leisure at 11 am. The next day was to be communication skills assessment on self – introduction. I settled down at 12:30 and started preparing for it. Just when I started, the mail which made me curse came. We were to have the assessment on the same day.. And not the next as originally scheduled.
I immediately went into a spate of negativity- why did things always get messed up this way? Muttering to myself, I ordered food and started getting ready for college.
The bell rang- and my food came. I paid the money and opened the parcel. I had ordered one stuff paratha which usually came in four pieces. But the parcel was bulky- on counting I found that there were actually eight pieces- two stuff parathas instead of one!! I mentioned this to my room mate. Her spontaneous reaction was, “Wow… you are so lucky- all such good things happen to you!” I acknowledged it sceptically- but started thinking if this was indeed true…
My mind went back to a time two months before that. I had just landed in Dubai - homesick. I spoke to my parents on my India phone which cost a lot, so could speak very limitedly. Since I landed late, I couldn’t buy one immediately. The next day we had an induction in college. After a day’s small talk with strangers, I was itching to have a long conversation with my parents. Once we got back from college, I went to a shop near the hostel to buy a SIM Card. Alas; the shop had just recharge cards and no SIM cards! I was upset and frustrated. Just then, a driver of a bus of the college, who happened to be standing outside the shop, noticed my stricken face and said, “I have an extra SIM Card, which I don’t use anymore. If you wish, you can use it till the time you are here”. I looked at him doubtfully- I wasn’t sure if I was to pay him or not- my mind, at its sceptical best, was finding it difficult to believe the kind act of this complete stranger. He immediately clarified that no payment was needed, that I would just need to buy the recharge card for it from the shop. I thanked him profusely and went to the hostel happily.
I then thought of another incident which occurred soon after that. This was in the first week of coming to Dubai.. When I used to convert every Dirham to Rupee before spending! I had ordered Rava Dosa in the Food Court. As it was a self service, when the food came- the waiter shouted out “Onion Rava Masala”. Nobody went forward to collect it- I suddenly got a doubt and went to him and clarified that I had ordered plain Rava Dosa. He checked the orders and realized it was a mistake from their part. But he told me to take the Masala one anyway- with no additional cost! Masala has never tasted as good as it did that day!
I was smiling to myself now- I realized, I was indeed lucky! Complete strangers had been kind to me! I had already recounted small, but positive incidents whose occurrences at the right time had made my day. It was so easy to crib about and remember the annoying negative obstacles that occur in our day to day life… but easy to forget the small positive ones. It was so easy to remember the messed up timetable- and easy to forget the extra Masala. If only we could count the small blessings that come our way instead of always focusing on the negatives- life would indeed be beautiful!
I immediately went into a spate of negativity- why did things always get messed up this way? Muttering to myself, I ordered food and started getting ready for college.
The bell rang- and my food came. I paid the money and opened the parcel. I had ordered one stuff paratha which usually came in four pieces. But the parcel was bulky- on counting I found that there were actually eight pieces- two stuff parathas instead of one!! I mentioned this to my room mate. Her spontaneous reaction was, “Wow… you are so lucky- all such good things happen to you!” I acknowledged it sceptically- but started thinking if this was indeed true…
My mind went back to a time two months before that. I had just landed in Dubai - homesick. I spoke to my parents on my India phone which cost a lot, so could speak very limitedly. Since I landed late, I couldn’t buy one immediately. The next day we had an induction in college. After a day’s small talk with strangers, I was itching to have a long conversation with my parents. Once we got back from college, I went to a shop near the hostel to buy a SIM Card. Alas; the shop had just recharge cards and no SIM cards! I was upset and frustrated. Just then, a driver of a bus of the college, who happened to be standing outside the shop, noticed my stricken face and said, “I have an extra SIM Card, which I don’t use anymore. If you wish, you can use it till the time you are here”. I looked at him doubtfully- I wasn’t sure if I was to pay him or not- my mind, at its sceptical best, was finding it difficult to believe the kind act of this complete stranger. He immediately clarified that no payment was needed, that I would just need to buy the recharge card for it from the shop. I thanked him profusely and went to the hostel happily.
I then thought of another incident which occurred soon after that. This was in the first week of coming to Dubai.. When I used to convert every Dirham to Rupee before spending! I had ordered Rava Dosa in the Food Court. As it was a self service, when the food came- the waiter shouted out “Onion Rava Masala”. Nobody went forward to collect it- I suddenly got a doubt and went to him and clarified that I had ordered plain Rava Dosa. He checked the orders and realized it was a mistake from their part. But he told me to take the Masala one anyway- with no additional cost! Masala has never tasted as good as it did that day!
I was smiling to myself now- I realized, I was indeed lucky! Complete strangers had been kind to me! I had already recounted small, but positive incidents whose occurrences at the right time had made my day. It was so easy to crib about and remember the annoying negative obstacles that occur in our day to day life… but easy to forget the small positive ones. It was so easy to remember the messed up timetable- and easy to forget the extra Masala. If only we could count the small blessings that come our way instead of always focusing on the negatives- life would indeed be beautiful!
It took two stuff parathas and a chance remark for me to realize that.
Comments
never realised what a paratha can do to humans !!!
Shows two things i guess --
Nothing good has come out of communications class :D
and
Eating is always good :) Especially parathas :) Apparently, they are 'Food for Thought' :) :D