Business trips, are known for packed schedules, long working hours and tiring travel. What one least expects is to find leisurely strolls and unknown friends.
My recently concluded travel was also my first visit to this
part of the world. Thus apprehensions of unknown were natural. I packed my bags
with some needed and some ‘may-be needed’ stuff and embarked on this journey.
Morning of my first day was an open slot. A part of the team
was only expected to reach by noon, leaving me with few free hours. Sitting at
the breakfast table, I was going through my possible task list when a colleague
handed me a thin file. It was an interesting compilation of necessary and
useful information. There were emergency contact details, key words of local
language, train and taxi details etc. In addition there were 10 pages on 10
tourist attractions of the city. Each page contained name, brief description, a
picture, a snap-shot of road-map, physical address and transportation options. In
short it was a user-friendly mini-guide to the city, which the local team had
prepared for their travelling colleagues.
Excited by this warm welcome gesture, I decided to put this
useful guide to use. I took the first few hours off from work, changed from
business formals to denims and sneakers, and headed towards the metro station
following the instructions manual.
In this age of online direction maps, automated voice
guidance tools and language translators, using those printed sheets was a novel
experience. I stopped at every turn to seek directions from passersby. Some understood
it through pictures, some through address, but most pointed me in right
direction.
At one such turn i requested help from a shopkeeper woman. She
seemed clueless about the place I was seeking. I was about to move ahead when
an old lady passing by me stopped. Dressed in a long black coat, she was
carrying a bag of groceries, and had a sweet and amused smile on her face. The
two exchanged a few words in their native tongue. With a wave of her hand, the
old woman asked me to accompany her. A bit hesitant and a bit confused I started
walking a few steps behind her. When she turned into an inner lane, I could
hear emergency alarm bells ringing in my head, cautioning me to stay alert. I stopped
and called her again to inquire about the place I wanted to visit. Without looking
at the paper in my hand, she again gestured, asking me to follow her.
I stopped another time, seeing her enter a small shop. Once inside,
she spoke to another woman, and explained something which I obviously couldn’t understand.
This other woman seemed about two decades younger than the first one, and
around a decade older to me. I was relieved to see her speak in broken English.
I was still expecting some directional instructions when she picked up her bag
and came out with me. At last my anxieties were addressed as she told me that
she will walk me to this place as it was quite close by. I felt thankful for
her kind help.
In less than five minutes we reached my destination. It was
the old part of the city, known for its old architecture. Some of the buildings
were nearly two hundred year old. My guide kept walking with me pointing
towards various interesting structures. We conversed in broken sentences and
phrases, sometimes using only single words, yet almost perfectly understanding
each other.
I expressed my gratitude many times over. She in turn
explained that she was enjoying the walk. Even though she was staying so close
to this place she hadn’t visited it in last 7 years. And so we continued our
walk and discussions, each thankful to other for this unforeseen break.
We shared a strange commonality and an unseen connect. Both of
us were thoroughly enjoying this unplanned unexpected walk through some old
historical structures. She was as excited in showing the carvings on walls as I
was in seeing them. Very patiently she translated the writings, explaining the
significance and history of these buildings, adding anecdotes wherever
possible. Like a sincere student I devoured every word. From wall paintings to
tall pillars, from falling structures to buildings under repair, everything
seemed interesting, everything worth a look. A couple of times we even stopped
at neighboring shops, as if we didn’t want to miss anything.
Many of these buildings are still in use housing museums, banks,
administrative offices and even restaurants. They continue to be an active part
of the city. After walking for nearly half an hour we reached the end of the
street. She stopped in front of a Metro Station and explained the route back to
my office. I thanked her many times again for her kind help. Both of us repeated
how much each of us had enjoyed the experience.
As I sat down in train, thinking about events of the day, I realized
I hadn’t even asked her name, nor did I tell her anything about myself. Neither
did she ask. Sorting pictures of the day in my camera, I noticed I didn’t have
any picture of hers. We were perfectly comfortable in being complete strangers.
