[Assam] A Conversation

[Ankur Bora]

                                    A conversation

 

“Hello, I am going to be your fellow passenger.”  I smiled to the man sitting near to me. As I started to adjust my seat belt, I was overwhelmed by a sudden burst of emotion. “This is the day I waited for so long; I have labored so hard to reach this stage and there is no one around to express”, I told myself.

“Hi, I am going to Chicago, what about you? “, Extending his hand, the person smiled to me. I immediately felt warmth and friendliness, as I extended my arm for a firm handshake. I replied,

“Good to know that my destination is same as yours.  Actually, this is my first international flight and I am so excited. At the same time, I am very nervous, I may ask you many questions, and I hope you won’t mind.”

“Feel free”, he replied briefly.

“Oh, I am so careless; I haven’t introduced myself and yet, started talking and talking, you know, my mom often admonishes me for my effusive manner.

“I am an International traveler and I have been traveling for the last thirty years. But I still remember my first flight overseas; I could feel your excitement “.  He remarked gently.

“Really, you mean to say that you liked my ebullient spirit!  I hope you are complementing me. “I could not stop asking him the next question,

“By the way, where do you live in Chicago?”

“I live in a place called “Rosemary”. It is suburb located twenty five miles from Chicago down town. It is a quiet neighborhood; we live away from the crowd.” He explained.

 â€œI believe you are talking about same neighborhood where “Olive and Ernest Steinbeck’s” home is located. There should be a sculpture named “Laocoon”, at the center of “Rosemary” street. Am I correct?

 He was astonished. “You are right. But how do you know about this place? You mentioned that you never visited Chicago”

“I know each and every street of Chicago “, I smiled mischievously. 

“But what is special about Chicago? “, I could feel the excitement in his voice.

“Chicago is special to me because this is where my best friend, my teacher, my guide lives. Chicago is the city of Oprah Winfrey and it is Oprah who has been a role model for me throughout my childhood and my youth.”

 He looked at me with amazement. “My wife is an ardent fan of Oprah, and I know she watches her show everyday. However I am quite ignorant about her. Will you let me know more about her?”

“I have read and re-read each and every moment of Oprah’s life. Oprah was born in Mississippi, a place located in deep southern part of United State. It was a time when people were recognized not as fellow human being but on color of skin. Oprah’s parents were so poor; they used to wait in front of grocery store till the middle of night on Christmas Eve so that they can buy the leftover charismas tree. She grew up in streets of Milwaukee watching black man killing each other. “As I continued to talk, my voice blurred.

“But the worst pain she endured was the physical abuse inflicted on her by her own family member. Her childhood was brutally violated; she lost the innocence of her youth. It was a pain she carried even through most part of her adult life.”

 

“However, Oprah fought all of that. She held on strong and defying all odds becoming the magnificent shining star, she becomes the incredibly motivating, inspiring woman that we all know today. She is like the mythical phoenix bird.  Some legends say that Phoenix is a bird consumes in the flames, but it arises from the ashes. Oprah was also consumed by pain, but she endured all and prevailed. She fought back to be the most successful woman in the world. Today her talk show is watched by millions all over the world. She is spreading the gospel of compassion and forgiveness, that day I was moved when I watched four siblings appeared in her show forgiving the repentant murderer of   their parents. I watched another of her show where a young girl appeared, her face totally deformed, burned by a car accident, it was a hopeless situation but she had overcome and started to rebuild her life. This is the ultimate triumph of human spirit; Oprah is conveying the message that we are going to win irrespective of the obstacles we face.”

 

I was feeling thirsty. He opened a bottle of water, as he began to pour in my glass he asked me. “Many of us living in United State probably do not feel as strongly as you feel for Oprah. I am curious to know, how did you develop bonding with someone whom you have not met?”

 

 â€œFor me, bonding with another person is about discovering myself, to perceive the values that I have, that I possess but which I never realized.  I believe, everybody is called here to earth to do something special. Each person possesses a unique gift to offer but most of the time, we never feel for that. This is because we follow what society says. My father tells me I should be a successful engineering , my mothers says I should be a successful medical professional, but no one ever tells me to follow what my heart calling is.  

 

“It is Oprah who is telling me to look inside myself and find the sprit to say “I shall become what I believe”. And if I am ever in self doubt, I always go back and watch her show, and she never lets me down, she brightens up with her smile and tells me “You can do it, the sky is the limit for you.” Her glowing smoky eyes will look into me “There is another world beyond, feel for them and you will realize that your pain is trivial.”  I look into her face radiating and glowing with youthfulness and I always fill a sense of fulfillment and hope

 

  

The pilot was preparing for take-off as we heard the announcement. I again started the conversation as the plane began to move slowly. “You must have noticed I have been so excited throughout. This moment, this journey is special to me. I labored so hard to reach this stage; I have competed with thousand others to obtain scholarship. I haven’t taken a single penny from my parents, Today, I feel so good about myself. And Oprah is still there telling me “Step into your own shoes and dance that dance, sing that song that we came here on earth to express”.

 

“Hey you know, we are forgetting something” Today is the beginning of the New Year. Wish you a happy new year, Cheers my friend, as we exchanged our greetings, the pilot began to increase the speed for the final take-off.

 

 By,

Ankur,

Dallas , Texas

 

 

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