One smile at the stranger...and the story you hear next

One evening I was lazing around after a very tiring day. I found two messages in my phone, from the librarian who was asking me if I could return the books I’d kept with me for 3 weeks. I typed a message to him “How long are you open, I’m lazy, can you come and collect the books?”… I backspaced everything and started to type “Hey, I was just gonna return them. What a coincidence?” I backspaced all that I typed and started to type a fresh one. I wasted a bunch of time doing that. Although in the end I didn’t text him anything. I thought it was a good idea to return the books I been reading since three weeks and stop being the worlds worst procrastinator. I also imagined how the librarian would give me those looks when I go there. He usually never smiles. Maybe he never smiled ever in his whole life? Or maybe he's a gay? :| When I say “Hi, any new books?” he looks at me says “Hi” with a straight face. Oh okay serious boy, continue that. I’ll show my straight face too. I reached the library and looked at him with a straight face, placed the books on the desk and he asked me the code. My library card has this damn code I’ll have to tell him each time I return the books, he took the books and I paid him off the (whatever) amount I had to. He thanked me and I took a tour inside the library to check out for something very interesting. He then called out my name, and apologized for texting me about returning the books. I said, Oh no it’s fine. My fault I kept them for too long. He said “That wasn’t long”, but I had customers who were waiting for the books and I had no extra books, I’ll give them to you next week if you want them. I was just nodding my head in disbelief that I saw him smile at me while talking. Finally he smiled, I thought smilingly. And I walked out with a book called BPO sutra (Dont judge me, its a nice book), bidding bye to him.

The librarian was looking at me while I walked out, that’s what I felt. Oh boy! Don’t give that stare I mumbled. I walked as fast as I could and when I reached my bike I placed the books on the seat and started to dig in my pockets for the keys, and I smiled at a stranger who was walking right next to my bike. He was pretty old, looked like a granddad of 15 grandchildren or more. His grey thick moustache, his cargo shorts, his cap, his Reebok Tee gave me a picture of a retired army officer. He was holding a bag of veggies. He stopped when I shot the smile. I stopped digging for the keys too. I sort of had all weird thoughts before he began talking to me. He looked at me like as if I was one of his grandkids, and said:

Stranger- Hey! Let me ask you a question!

Me – okay? *blank*

Stranger – which side do you think is the handle fixed on a coffee cup?

Me – Err, *making actions with my hand like as if I held the cup with my hand and said* RIGHT.

Stranger - *looks at me weirdly*

Me- Oh no it’s on the *tries to make actions again, this time with the left hand and said* LEFT.

Stranger- *raises one eyebrow*

Me – Oh wait no, it depends on how you hold it though? Obviously. *straight face*

Stranger – Okay? You tell me with which hand do you hold the cup usually?

Me – Right (sometimes with both the hands)

Stranger – I hold it with left, but that doesn’t give a proper answer. *shrugs*

Me- Okay I give up, what’s the answer? *curiosity was eating me up, while I already started biting nails*

Stranger- well, the handle is obviously fixed OUTSIDE the cup.

Me- Ha Ha Ha :|

Stranger- what ha ha? Ask me why?

Me- Why?

Stranger- because when the coffee is inside the cup, how can the handle be inside the cup too? *Laughs loudly, bids a bye and walks off*

Me- :| :| :| *laughs, cries, laughs, cries, straight face* Not funny sir.

I looked around before I started my bike to see if anyone around heard that oh-so-very-funny-joke too? The librarian was standing at the counter laughed and signaled that the stranger was a retard! But wait, I saw my librarian smile and laugh for the first time! Feels nice when someone really wears a smile I thought. And I rode back home.

I spotted the stranger again, the very next day, talking to a very HOT girl about something. What a retard funny man! Don’t know what story he told her too. But he seems like a good entertainer!

The Pearl Necklace of Life

Is anyone of you feeling too low about losing a very important part of your life? Anyone here is missing someone who you really loved and he/she is not with you right now? You need to know, I felt the same once upon a time, until my cousin had shared with me one of the cutest stories I’ve ever heard. That story has been so touching and played a very important role as a boost of confidence in my life. I know most of us go through this rough-phase once, twice, thrice and sometimes like a lot in life. But we all need this story that keeps us going. Which is also helping me to move-forth and on. I’m sharing it with all of you, who are skating on unhappiness. Just remember “Losing someone shouldn’t stop your life”. Here’s the story –

There was a 7 year old girl named Sheba, who lived with her parents in a small town. Sheba was sweet a girl with an apple cheeked face, with blue eyes and slight curls in her bronze colored hair. She one day happened to go for shopping with her mother to one of the biggest malls in the city. While her mother was busy shopping, Sheba admired everything that was in the store except for its prices. She felt like she was in heaven for a while, and kept smiling looking at the soft toys. She played with all the toys in the store. Then she found something really interesting. A pearl necklace. She told to herself not to get tempted but she was already tempted. She wanted that pearl necklace on all expenses. Sheba immediately turned to look at her mother and her mother was busy talking the store guy about the bill she had to pay. She ran her to mother and pulled her hand and pointed out at the pearl necklace. Sheba’s mother looked at it, saw the price and wasn’t amused. But she thought that this was not the age for Sheba to like such things and made up stories and told her that she couldn’t afford. Sheba was unhappy and was sad to hear that. She asked her “please mom, I love that necklace and I want to have it” and her mother couldn’t refuse but told her “I can buy this for you on a condition that 50% of your pocket money every month, will be deducted”. Sheba was ready and wasn’t bothered about her pocket money. All she knew was that she would soon own that wonderful pearl necklace she saw at the huge mall. She said “I’m okay with the condition”.

Sheba was so proud to wear the pearl necklace. She’d worn it every day, she shows it to her friends each time they came to visit her, she would stare at it for a long time, and she wore it to church every Sunday. She was totally in love with that pearl necklace she owned. And she never regretted about her pocket money being deducted. Days passed by when her dad dropped in at her room, and she shows the pearl necklace to him though it has become too old now. Her dad says “wow its awesome, can you give it to me?” Sheba was not ready to give it to him. She told her dad that she owns it and is also getting just half of her pocket money. Her dad tried to tell her he would give her double the pocket money she earned if she had given that necklace to him. Sheba didn’t like the deal. She never gave up. She was sure that no one can take that necklace from her. The next day again her dad asked Sheba to give that pearl necklace to him. Sheba gets really wild and walks away without replying. The third day her dad comes to her room and stretches forth his right arm and asks for the pearl necklace. Sheba gets really upset with how her dad was forcing her to give that pearl necklace to him. She puts the pearl necklace in the box and drops it in his hand, and looks down with a sad face, and her dad outstretches his left hand with a brand new diamond necklace which was more beautiful than the pearl necklace she owned. She was out of speech and was the happiest girl in the whole world.

I hope you understood something out of this story. This is what most of the times we face in life, the things we love always disappear in one snap. You keep crying over it, because you miss it. But most of us don’t realize that there is always something BEAUTIFUL coming up in our lives. Replace yourself with Sheba and replace Sheba’s dad with God. When you think God has taken away something from you, just believe that He’s preparing something really beautiful for you to have. Whatever you lost may come back to you as the most beautiful thing. Maybe it is not so easy to accept this fact, but trust me this story has changed my life, my thinking and my desires. It made me grow strong in faith and also I own something really beautiful right now – Happiness.

Smile

I'm posting a poem for the first time here, dedicating this to all those who lost their smile.

Each day is bright

Plan for the right

Smile every morning

Sweep away the mourning

Dream wide

Look at the bright side

Let the world see you smile

Without a guile

Hear the bells ring

Hear the birds sing

Let the wind blow

Let the love flow

Make the world known

About the smile you own

With oodles of fun

Make each day a bright one

Smile

Not for a while

But, make it your style!!

My name says it all…

I don’t really know why I had this thought today? What is the meaning of my name?


When I was 6 years old one of my dad’s associate pastors had taught me the meaning of my name. I know it sounds ridiculous to believe that I still remember something learnt at the age of 6. But you have to believe me. Esther means star. I’ve known three meanings of star; one of the celestial bodies visible at night, My teacher marking star in my homework book for Excellency, A person who has been outstandingly successful in helping others. However today I learnt more on my name. It’s a Persian word setareh which not only means a star but also means a morning star. I have investigated if I was a star like my name? I wanted to be one of a kind who can be successful in helping others. I may not have succeeded in helping someone everyday but have at least tried to find out if I could be of any help to the one in need. I feel great joy when I’m helpful to others and compliment myself for the great work.


The reason I stressed more on the meaning of my name today was because of my new neighbor who lives 2 floors above my flat. There were a bunch of people of my apartment waiting to take the lift, I was one among them. I immediately take the stairs as soon as i spot crowd waiting for the lift. Today I was tired and had to stand along with the crowd. Everybody was pathetically stuffed and I had no place for one step forward. I was like “Oh no you guys carry on”! There was a lady on a wheel chair waiting for the lift along with us. I wondered “Nobody cared to take her first into the lift and drop her at her place”. I started to stare at her and we both exchanged smiles. I looked at my phone trying not to feel conscious about why she was still staring at me? She looked at my phone and looked at me and asked me what class? I said, I’m working and as well preparing for higher education. She couldn’t believe her eyes (I can’t say beyond this, I look like a 14 year old). I asked her which floor is anyone….? And the lift arrived so our conversation broke! A man interrupted due to which I couldn’t look at her and continue to ask what I wanted to… as soon as the man left I asked her “is someone coming to take you or shall I……?” The man interrupted again saying “hello, I’m here to take her”.


The lady looked so happy when she knew I would have helped her and said that’s ok, you take the lift we will wait here. Because of the wheel chair only 2 could go in the lift. I asked them to carry on, as my flat is on the second floor and I could take the stairs. I felt so happy when she waved “bye” saying come home some day! Although this was just a 5 minute scenario, that lady would always remember me as a sweet neighbor, unlike others who took the lift leaving her all alone.

It’s a great deal to prove the existence of the meaning of my name. Anybody who feels happy helping a stranger? Do share it. :)