Good souls

Of late, I have been surrounded by good souls.

Yesterday, I was on my way back from Bangalore on an overnight train. My berth had the A/C vent directly blowing cold air on me in all its frenzy. On any other day, I would have loved to stay cozy in the Indian Railways-sponsored slice of Antarctica. But I couldn’t. I realized that I might be suffering from a chest infection. The fact that the other berth had a young mom with an infant didn’t help the situation either. So, in the middle of the night, I got down and decided to walk outside to get some fresh air. As I was standing outside in the transit area of the compartment, with the door wide open, a slightly older woman came over. She started making small talk with me and stayed with me until I went back. I woke up twice more, walked out, and was followed by this fellow passenger each time. She kept talking about life, struggles, and other things. I didn’t really understand why someone, a stranger to me, decided to interrupt her sleep. Now, thinking back, I realize what was happening. Bless her soul.