The moment she entered the railway compartment, I knew there was something special about her. Her eyes sparkled at the sight of empty seats. She was travelling with her family, so first she ensured everyone was seated and then she took an empty seat next to me.
It was her first train journey and the excitement reflected on her face. I had to give away my window seat so that she could enjoy it to the fullest.
It was a long journey, so we talked a bit. I learnt that she was traveling to Mumbai for some medical treatment. She spoke with a lot of enthusiasm about her trip. She explained to me her plans to visit touristy places in the city. She is also a big SRK fan, so was planning to check his house. She mentioned that her treatment will be long so she will have to frequently travel to Mumbai.
I was amazed by attitude of this 10 year old girl and the way she was treating her illness. There were no apparent signs of illness, but I was certain that she was being treated for something very serious. I didn’t have the courage to ask her about the illness. At the end of the journey I wished her and her family good luck for the treatment and we departed our separate ways.
She was such a sweetheart and you wonder why life has to be so cruel. One positive was the way she handled her illness. She joked that best part of being ill is she can skip school and no homework. She was such a free sprit and full of life, I genuinely wish she recovers soon and lives a long healthy life.
I didn’t know you were also a writer! Great blog post.
Thanks 🙂