Serendipity

Serendipity, luck, chance, fortuitous. There is no other way to describe such a meeting and all that followed…

Our little party traveling to Varanasi that day had been just in the nick of time to catch our flight out. Of course, being just at the nick of time doesn’t let one be very choosy!
So the lot of us got seats at different parts of the craft and most of them the middle row seats that no one actually prefers!

Well anyway…All settled into my seat, I promptly dozed off (having discovered that this is a great way to catch up on lost sleep!). Next thing I know, I was being woken up by the hostess to be served, except that she has only non vegetarian meals left and would I be so kind as to eat one of them! Being a vegetarian and a stickler for service, this just plain ticked me off! And I think I said something that amounted to “ this isn’t how things are done!”, not the greatest of conversation starters maybe but what followed was one of those really really nice conversations.

Just to clarify, I didn’t end up talking to myself! I was after all seated amidst two people and the person who actually chose to respond to irate me was sitting to my right…Late thirties, early forties and a geologist! From that moment on we had a two hour flight where we spoke of so many many things, everything under the sky from customer service to corporate social responsibilities to the environment, our respective jobs, companies…it was brilliant! Anyway, at the end of the flight we introduced ourselves!! And me being me, googled him! It was more curiosity than anything….

I am usually such a misfit for the way I think and the way I argue and few people stimulate me to argue, think and give me broader views and encourage me to be such a nut! Well I’d just met one such person and if I could, I was certainly going to get in touch! And get in touch we did…writing mails…again about everything under the sun and some on crafts orbiting it, books, movies and life in general….And then we met again, although this time it was planned and not left to lady luck…and had as riveting a conversation as any other time!

What else would one call such a chance encounter turning to such an interesting friendship?