The man with no tie- 2
Needless to say, I found it difficult to forget this man with no tie. Getting back home, my mind kept replaying the short conversation we had. His mannerism, his charm and the overall vibe that would make anyone feel like they were meeting an old friend and not a new stranger. I so badly wished I could have that kind of charisma when meeting new people.
I did not know who he was but I had to find out more about him. Much like any millennial I went to the one trusted source of all woes and wisdom - Drumrolls A google search.
Yeah, I went as far as practically looking up this person and added them to my formal network on LinkedIn. Impressive profile they had, not the smoothest of journeys, but a steep uphill climb for sure. Mentored at some of the best institutions, no wonder this chap had eloquence in etiquettes. I dropped a message to say hi and to my surprise he did reply. At this point, I knew without a doubt I was fangirling.
God knows where from I gained much confidence or as I like to call it playing hopscotch over the fine line between courage and stupidity, that I typed my next message.
“Is it possible for us to connect over a less formal platform?” Sent
I bit my tongue in anticipation, not knowing if I was being a bewakoof or if this was my bahaduri wala kaam. Either way the message had been sent and seen too.
“Sure, find me on instagram, here’s my ID” Wow, just wow. Here I was thinking this impressive specimen of a person with such an amazing skill set and confidence might not take it well.
Like any dedicated 20 something, I obviously did find them right away and inconspicuously went through their entire profile in a matter of minutes. Learned a few things and eased out at the fact that this person was also as much human as everyone else, just better at expression and influencing people. Goofy, silly and flawed like everyone else. It is easier to relate to people when you see their flawed side as well, seeing just the good side makes one admire in awe but seeing flaws you see the humane aspect too.
I went to sleep peacefully, and forgot all about it until last night when I woke up at 3 am. I had had a weird dream, not really classifiable in the nightmare section but I had woken up feeling a mixture of worried and confused. The last and only bit which I remembered was seeing this same person, the man with no tie amidst a crowd. He seemed lost and out of place walking on his own when he ran into me and we looked at each other. I recognized him but he seemed to be reluctant to be recognized by anyone. He hurriedly apologized and took a turn while I tried looking for him amidst the crowd. That was when I woke up, feeling dizzy and worried.
It has been over a year since I last saw him, and the world we had known was turned upside down with covid 2020 striking India. I sit on my bed, scrolling through his feeds and wondering where he might be since there has not been any new activity for a while now. Good thing is that while work has faced set back, his team was engaging actively in relief work and supporting fundraisers to help people. Having left I message in the morning at a reasonable hour, I had been going about my work when I receive a reply on my message late in the evening.
“Hey, thanks so much for checking in on me. So kind of you to have thought of me. Been busy and had too much on my plate, sorry I did not reply earlier” I breathe a sigh of relief. Thank god for the reply, I do know he is doing okay and is surrounded by people who care about him. We talked a bit more, and after what seemed like ages, were relieved to have made small talk with an acquaintance ( An activity I abhorred whole heartedly and he had simple learnt to be pretend to be good at). But, thanks to an year of staying indoors and socially distant, this once despised social etiquette was a welcome change today. Sharing silly jokes and pet peeves, we both wished each other well and took leave.
Sending out a silent prayer to the keeper of all in heavens I finally set my phone aside and go to sleep.
Unknown to her, our mystery man with a surprising shortage of neck ties or a general distaste for the accessory, too had sent out a prayer of gratitude for this blue streak, eccentric brunette, he had come across hosting an event. Somehow her enthusiasm and energy had plagued him, in a good way too as he admired the child like wonder with which she looked around and tried to understand the processes and business models beings discussed around her. Gratitude for every act of care and concern is what helps a person count their blessings, not the riches they have or the lands they own. A valuable lesson acquired early in life was what helped him move through tough times with grace and kept him humble otherwise.
Comments
Post a Comment