...Idyllic banter !

The cold wave in Mumbai was unrelenting and was not sparing either the Mumbaikar's nor the North Indians in the city :-)...
The dailies continued to confuse the people with recycled headlines - Coldest day ever recorded (ofcourse with the date change). Warm wear was out with vengeance and people not learning from it were destined to shiver!

It was an ordinary early wednesday morning when I took a rick towards my workplace as routine...Mind still in space...sitting in the centre to avoid the gusty cold breeze and was lost in thoughts going nowhere, while the rick hurtled towards my so called destination amidst the early morning trailor of a traffic (Main Movie of the traffic is 930 hrs onwards, ask the daily commuters for details)!
The silence was broken by the sudden idyllic banter of the rick driver -

Rick Guy - I cant quit smoking beedi...
I just faked attention still not willing to set on a journey within a journey...He continued....
Rick Guy - all this years I was on cigarette...routine for 22 yrs post which since last 3 years I moved on to beedi reluctantly to quit smoking (WoW)...Now I cant quit this beedi addiction !
My Processor immediately identified with this human situation of how we make efforts to break a habit to enter another one...(the analogy can be extended to any situation in life)! Now it turned into a conversation from a boring monologue..
IQ - why dont you eat chewing gum to break this habit now...May be you can try the nicotine flavored chewing gum available at the local chemist!
He nodded...
Rick Guy - I am tenth class pass in english medium(english medium was said with pride)
IQ - You should have continued your education...
Rick Guy - No..no..actually I was weak at spellings...
Immediately Taare Zameen Par files flashed on my processor display, was this rick guy a non detected dyslexic as a kid....??!!...
continues...hence I have ensured that my son takes dictation tests every morning ! He is in 4th STD and my wife gets up at 6am to teach him...I did not want my son to face similar problems...He gets good grades and his teachers are also very happy with his progress.
I patted him on his shoulder and told him that the credit goes to him,to which he retorted - No my wife deserves it for her committed efforts...then with a slight pause he cheekily added ,even I deserve it on 2nd thoughts since I did not let her work, so that she can be a focussed house keeper, which is more important for me!! I nodded in acknowledgement...

Our journey came to an end,when the rick pulled next to my office gate...I thanked him for his personal sharing and expressed pleasure in meeting him, also did tell him to quit smoking once and for all....to which he smiled back (which was neither a Yes or No, I presume it was a NO) !

Profound and introspective indeed was this chance meeting...a break from the routine.

My professional life took control over from there and I eased into the bunch of employees moving towards the elevator....