Скачать или смотреть People are like mirrors, if you be good to them, they’ll be good with you || Debdutto Banerjee

I was traveling across Ernakulam, written on a bus in beautiful calligraphic style is where I saw this quote.

Come as a guest, go as a friend!

Whilst looking at the quote, it triggered a chain reaction in my head.

Throughout my life, I'd had the good luck of being friends with countless good human souls.

On my recent adventure in South India, it was a little different. I did not understand the language at all. The culture was vastly different from what I'm used to. Essentially I was a guest.

But, there were some individuals who befriended me rather so quickly.

Murali, Vishnu, Arun, Darshan, Lekshmi, Rudran uncle & off course Mani Anna were such people.

Murali is a hotelier turned hospital operations manager while Vishnu is a father who creates design on the professional front.

Arun is a PhD student who has tried his hands in so many different forms of business before finally understanding his calling in the field of Chemistry.

Then there's Darshan. One of the most humble individuals who is a blockchain & wireless network enthusiast & a final year computer science student.

Lekshmi was a team member who was energetic, emphatic & ever so open to discussion.

Rudran uncle runs a juice & eatery shop on the beaches of Kerela. Ever so enthusiastic about talking to his customers. He lived in the middle east for a long before he started his own shop. One should look at Rundran uncle to see how covid has effected businesses yet it was even better to see how he as a mature individual handled the whole situation.

Mani Anna works in a coffee/tea shop. Always smiling. We never understood each others languages yet through sign language, we chatted for long hours.

Few of them showed me around the places of South India, few chatted with me on topics ranging from startup to design to life in general. From deep spirituality to how important money is. Our discussions over the long coffee breaks & on the sea beach were simply engrossing.

All of us are vastly different from each other, yet when we sat down to talk to each other, it felt like we were old time friends who just got to know each other yet again after a long gap of time.

Their stories are bonechilling & adventurous in their own terms, which someday I shall depict.

Although I came from a very different background I was invited into a new culture with open arms. I love lovingly grasping as much of the culture as I could possibly can.

I even wore a traditional south Indian dhoti and I loved the feeling of dressing up like a local tamilian/Malayali.

It is indeed a magical feeling to go somewhere as a guest and befriend individuals who become part of our lives in a few months time.

The shared memories & experiences we had is something which I'd always cherish for life.

There's a common misconception that people are bad but from my own personal experience I can very well say, people are like mirrors, if you are good with them, they would be good to you.

The quote on the bus was a fleeting memory, yet the significance of it, long lasting.

Come as a guest, go as a friend.

I'll miss hanging out with you guys

Take care. Have fun. Hopefully soon, we shall meet again.