Wednesday, December 14, 2005

It's OK to talk to strangers

It was one evening when Didi received an email from a Rajat Thomas, who was currently working in LA. It was some random guy who got her email id from somewhere and emailed her. The courteous person that she is, she responded and they became email friends. They used to email like once a week and he emailed her a link to his personal website where she saw a picture of him. Like most sisters we shared everything so I knew who Rajat was, what he looked like and all.

2 years go by

Didi and I take a trip to India. We are standing in a train station to board a train to go to Tamil Nadu. Didi says "Don't look now, but the guy over there looks like Rajat". After few seconds I casually turn and look and I confirm that hunch. So I tell Didi, lets go ask if he is Rajat. Didi gives me the stare like I am crazy.

Between Didi and me I was the gutsy one, so I try to rationalize it for her.
Me: Let me go ask.
Didi: You are crazy, shut up. I knew I shouldn't have told you.
Me: What do we have to loose, if it's not him I'll tell I'm sorry.
Didi: I will not let you talk to random guys in train stations

While she is saying these words I walk over to that guy. Didi turns around acting like she is not related to me.

Me to Guy: Excuse me
Guy (looking all shocked):Yes
Me: Are u Rajat Thomas.
Guy (jaw drops, eyes pop out, he stands up): Yes and you are?

I beckon my sister to come over, she comes over.
Me (to Guy): This is my sister Veena who emails you.
Didi: Hi I'm Veena
Guy: Oh my god, I can't believe it.
…….. (they both start talking like long lost friends)

We ended up taking the same train and traveled half way together.

It is such a small world. When 2 people who meet here in US to be in India at the same train station at the same time I believe it is more than a coincidence.

26 comments:

Ginkgo said...

:-)

yeh...that has happened to me once as well...not exactly in the same way though..

Btw, thanks for having my name in thelist..
wutz with the * * though!!

Keshi said...

It's more than coincidence...it's called destiny :)

Keshi.

Anonymous said...

Wow that is certainly more than a coincidence...i have a mail friends too...man how awesome it will be if i get to see him...

Rays Of Sun said...

Thats freaky coincidence..from our email talks, I coudl tell..this is a freaky day!!
Glad you went and talked to him!! If nothing you could meet the person whom you have always just talked to..nice post thanu!

Geo said...

Lil surprises and coincidences of life.... :_)

Sujith said...

thts a great coincidence.. such a small world :-)

Babumoshayar said...

yes co incidences do happen,who knows i am leaving comments now ,but never know where and when we could meet.

virdi said...

the post may be inspired by sayesha's post but yes THE WORLD IS A SMALL PLACE!!! :-)

V..

div said...

hey thanu really a great coincidence.. well what to say.. this world is really a small place.. hey hatsoff for ur gutts.. u r so daring that u went and ask that person...

silverine said...

wowwwwwwww!

What a co-incidence!!! I am amazed.Did this have a romantic ending? :)

Thanu said...

$Ginkgo
Looking forward for that post. U r alwaz welcome

$Keshi
Destiny it is.

$Anu
I know and hopefully unexpectedly

$Rays Of Sun
Thanks. Yesterday was a freaky day so I thought of this incident.

$Geo
That is what makes these moments memorable.

$Jithu
Indeed, very small.

$Rishikesh said...
Nice to see u here again. I know we start talking as stranger ons a flight and all of a sudden u'll be like "Are u thanu". Then my jaws will drop and eyes will pop.

$virdi
Actually it is inspired by a conversation ROS and I had over the email regarding co-incidences.

$div
World is small. I was like 18 when the whole incident happened. Akka is glad that I had the guts.

$silverine
No it didn't. 7 years passed after the whole incident, and Chechi still emails Rajat.

Unknown said...

Destiny is what it is!Gutsy girl I shud say! good u did it though!
I met someone like this but not so dramatically!

Ginkgo said...

Lolz, the tech fella who helped me out yday, was called Rajat Mohan..:-)

Thanu said...

$randomthoughts
Welcome to my blog. Waiting to read ur post about the person u met.

$ginkgo
Rajat is a made up name. THat guys name was somethign else. All the names in my blog are fake. Didi is not Veena, but love that name though

Eclectic Blogger said...

'Coincidence' is probably a wrong word.. seems something more that :)

Kaala Kavva said...

wow!
too much for a coincidence!

then what happd ???

Kroopa Shah (Kr00pz) said...

Too much of a coincidence!!

Anonymous said...

:)

Expect the unexpected :) that way life is more interesting. OK just been feeling Mellow all week..even have a week old Beard.:)

Anonymous said...

This is what is called serendipity and if you think about it - most of the stuff that happens in our life are such accidents - some great some not so great - and well some that shouldn't have happened.

Sometime back - when I was still a student - I was asking myself - what is really THE THING that made some people successful and others not. So I said - ok let me read biographies - perhaps the best source to find out!

And most of them had the kind of experience that you had with Rajat; and yes for them - it was a turning point - for the rest of us - that would be just another incident - perhaps interesting perhaps not! And that's when the importance of the word serendipity struck me!

And yes most successful people showed the kind of boldness you showed - looks like you too are on a roll. (remember me....I posted a comment on your blog :-) )

Sayesha said...

Wow!

I mean WOW!!!!!

Thanu said...

$EC
Destiny I think is more apt.

$Ze
Phir kya...Didi and Rajat still email each others, good email friends.

$kroopa
I think it was meant to be.

$jaguu
moustache is back too? howz ur clean shaven look? still getting compliments?

$Vikram
Real creepy..but I'm glad I went and spoke.

$pramod
I remember u, welcome back.
We had a conversation abt life in swiss.

$Sash
I know WOW.

Kiran said...

If he were not RAJAT, then what wud have been the conversation b/w u both.

Do you think you'd start a new tale of frenship with the RAJAT look-alike.

Any wayzz a nice coincidence.

Jagan said...

well....i still think ppl should be cautious abt meeting strangers ...

Thanu said...

$rik
If the guys was not Rajat
Me: Excuse me, are u Rajat
Guy: No
Me: I'm extremely sorry. I mistook you for someone else
Guy: That is k.

And I walk off.
Guy :(to his friends) I can't believe the girl used "have we met before line with me".

And his self esteem sky rockets.

$jagan
cautious - sure but Rajat wasn't a stranger in a level.

educatedunemployed said...

Hey Thanu, my first time here..Hi!

Wow, and how cool was it to bump into him.

I am glad you had the guts!

Thanu said...

$EE
Welcome here. It was really awesome to bump into him.