Ek choti si train yatra .. (A short train journey)

2-3 years back I got Add Request in Linkedin.com, Not sure who the person is I accepted the request thinking will find out later who the person is. But soon I forgot about it. Then after few months I got a message in my linkedin mail from this same person wishing me on my Birthday.( My bday is not visible in any of yje networking sites) Little curious I thought of checking out details of the person, for I was sure that I have not worked with him in any organization before.

Vivek, from USA, ... still no clue, and how come he knows my bday ? Still curious checking his profile snap again ….. and a faint familiarity and in a flash (and flashback ) I remembered who Vivek was ! And I just could not believe that somebody who had met me only once that too almost 13-14 years back , found me out in Linked in and remembered to wish me on my bday after all these years !

This was in year 1999 after my 3^rd semester (PG) exam I was suppose to join my cousin and a friend at Chennai who had reached there a day before for some work and we all were suppose to go to pondicherry to meet one of our cousin’s family and spend the weekend there. Since my exam was on a Saturday, I had told them that I will take the afternoon Brindavan express from Blore and will meet them at Chennai station. That weekend happened to be a long weekend and the Train was Jam packed. Hot afternoon, no space to even stand , the only good thing was that I did not have any luggage .

Almost after 2.5 hours of standing (and with absolutely no harassment of any sort) finally the rush inside the train started becoming  bearable and  some fresh started hitting my face … too tired after the exam and the hot afternoon and travel I started dozing off standing …. It then I remember a fellow passenger who was lucky enough to get a seat gave me a pat on the shoulder and asked me if I did not mind , he could make a little space for me to sit … initially I hesitated , but he said that he will get down in another 30 mins near Vellore (Katpadi Station)  then I can sit comfortably …  accepting his offer this time I thanked him and managed to sit ….

And then Vivek started the conversation … He was doing his final year MCA and native of Katpadi, hoping to get into a It job as soon he gets his results … then he asked what I was doing , and I told him that I was doing my PG too and along with that I was working in an IT company, he was little surprised and impressed too and thought probably I was going home for weekend ..  I smiled and said that – that was the first time I was going to Chennai and am basically from kerala  …He then spoke about the  Nuns from Kerala who had taught him in school , his friends from kerala, by this time both of us were comfortable talking and  during the talk I think topic of sun sign and  birth dates also came , exchanged email id and soon he got down at Katpadi station … that year on my bday I  got bouquet of flowers at my office and it was from Vivek …. Too surprised and not sure how to respond I sent him a thank you note , and after that did not keep much contact with him and soon getting busy and mersed in our own lives there was no contact at all till the linked in request happened  …  :)

After all these years …. I responded to him thanking for remembering and generally asking how about his life … it was great catching up with Vivek to know he and his family is doing good in life  ..