Companions

Lonely.

~ Rishi ~ Leave a comment

Living alone isn’t something that I desire for. But there are times when I have to do that for a period of time, and it is never easy…

The last two weeks, I was away on a work trip. Traveling away from the family, it was my usual routine. The only difference – I didn’t have anyone to meet during the weekend. I had not planned anything. And I was all alone.

I had things to do. There were quite a few items on the shared shopping list with wifey! But that amounted to chores – you have to do it because you have to do it. Even if there are some fun moments, it feels like a chore.

Once I was done with the shopping and the ensuing walks around the city, I was left with a lot of time to kill. I went to the theatre and whiled away some time. But there still was half a day left and I didn’t have anyone to catch up with!

I just decided to pass that remaining time of the weekend on my own. Tucked away in my bed, I read a book and then watched a few episodes of a new TV series.

But all of that only made me more miserable. I had not met a friend or family member throughout those two days and it wasn’t a great feeling.

So, the next day, as I walked into the office and spent time with some colleagues, it was extremely relieving. I also had some office meetings, so it was a great way to catch up with others.

Doing all of this reminded me that I crave companionship. When I don’t meet with enough people for a stretch of time, it sucks energy from me. It is as if I draw energy from others!

Maybe, I am a by-product of the times I have lived in, yearning for a good conversation and familiar faces. Maybe, it’s just my way of taking solace in the known. Or maybe, it is an affliction that makes me better.

Whatever it is, I resolved that moving forward, I will avoid going through such unplanned and lonely time spans. As much as I can…

Don’t let it be!

~ Rishi ~ Leave a comment

Ketan was sitting down in the balcony. Lost in his own thoughts.

His face was visibly unhappy and he was frowning every now and then. It appeared that he was alone.

At this age of his life, he was mostly homebound. That morning, his wife had gone to meet her friends and so he had no one to share the moment with.

Not that he didn’t like to go out. He went for his morning walks and for some other errands. But he didn’t like to go out during the busy hours, when everyone was rushing out.

He had lived his life and had retired to be in a peaceful state of mind. The last thing he wanted was to go out in the traffic when not in a good state of mind. So, he kept sitting and thinking.

About his kids, who were now in different cities and busy with their own lives. About his siblings, who had also retired in different towns and met only during some marriages or family functions. How there weren’t many friends around him.

This was the reason for his sadness. He was feeling lonely…

When he was working, he always thought he would have all the time in the world to do other things later on. Then, as he kept rising up the ladder, his life only became busier.

Before he could realise, he had lost touch with most folks from his home town. His friends. His extended family.

Then, when he retired, he had nowhere else to go. So, he remained in the place he had been in the last part of his working life. It was a good town, with warm people and some good friends. The only thing it lacked was folks from Ketan’s past.

As he sat in the balcony that day, he understood that the real reason for his sadness was that he was missing his old connections. After much brooding, he decided to change that.

He got up. Mustering courage, he called up his siblings. And promised to himself that he would talk to them more often.

Next, he called some of his old friends. They had a hearty laugh and he felt better. And he promised to himself that he would visit them at least once a year.

Lastly, he called his kids. He talked to them more often than everyone else, but told them that he would like to spend more time with them. They were obviously happy, and he promised to himself that he will book his tickets soon.

With all these promises made, he never realised it was evening. The bell rang. His wife was home.

He got up, opened the door, and before she could enter, hugged her tightly. For, she was there with him always, his constant companion! And he had promised to himself to take good care of her!