A person who was not my friend

Life is so unpredictable. You never know who will cross your path at which time.  These people will make you look at life from a different angle with a different perspective. Something that you have never thought of or else you have never gone through it. Something very similar happened to me this morning with that guy who called himself "no one".

My day starts along the marine drive; jogging, with those headphones on my ears. It's so refreshing seeing people smiling in the morning, greeting each other for a good day ahead. There would be the vendors selling hot tea on bicycles and two complimentary biscuits. What made me happier was the belief that the people had in their eyes that whatever happened in the past 24 hours, they could make a slight difference today by making it better. The belief of everything going to be fine and something good will happen.

But, every day as I walk past these people, I see one particular person sitting at the same place facing the waves and sipping a cup of tea. A guy in his mid 20's or early 30's; I'm not sure but I can surely say that he ponders something seeing those waves lashing the rocks. He knows no one there, but he would always smile back to all those unfamiliar faces trying to give them a slightly positive start to their day. It made me ponder always that how this person would be? Is he alone or in search of a person with whom he can talk to? Instead of judging a person standing at a distance, I thought of having a chat with him. As I went near, he saw and smiled at me. I smiled back and asked him "I see you every day, you come and sit and the same place watching these waves".

"Oh! so you are stalking me? " He laughed as he said.

"Will you mind having a cup of tea with me?", I asked.

"Sure, why not. But, in return to that what you want. Because without that, you wouldn't have come here to strike a conversation", he said.

I looked at him for a couple of seconds and thought what kind of a person he is but coming out of my own thoughts I asked him, "I see everyone here in a jolly mood walking with their partners or kids. But, you re the only one sitting here alone and watching these waves. Moreover, with the same expression. How? I mean why?"

"It's just that I'm a person who loves to be alone and watch this natural and beautiful things creations. This is how I enjoy myself and want to be like that forever." , he smiled as he said.

"Don't you feel that living together with family and friends can give you so much of happiness? "

"Happiness has various definitions. How you explain that? For me happiness stays till the point there is no expectation. No fake help, no fake relations and no fake smiles.
Do you see those skies and oceans, they never wait for someone to say that they are beautiful and at the same time nasty. They do their work. So am I.", he said.

"But, everybody is somewhat weak inside. Sometimes they need a constant friend who can say them, be with them and always support them. Isn't that true for you.", I asked him.

He smiled faintly and said, "friend? You know what I hate this word. There are people who have so good friends that they would do anything for each other. Like see there (pointing towards two people), they both come here every day like you and me. They laugh, cry, slang each other, play and go back putting arms across each others' shoulder. Now, from there, turn your eyeballs towards me and see; there was a time when I had some people whom I called "friends". But, for a time and then just with a click, they disappeared. I searched, I cried and for a moment I lost hope on myself. Their motive for what they did that friendship was over and now I lost hope on the word on which this world believes so much "Friendship".

He looked at me as if I was judging him because of his words and yes I was. How can somebody be so negative? I agree that things go wrong, people use you and all this shit happens. But, that doesn't stop us being what we are. He broke my thought suddenly and I heard exactly what I was expecting for him.

"I know you are judging me on my words but just once in your life when you lose trust on a bond, you can't regain it. No relationship can stand on the basis of fake promises. It's all in your heart and mind what you give out to the person. I never expected my friends to be there always and do all sorts of weird things for me in name of friendship. I just asked for a bond that never breaks, trusts that never evades and support me on my walk of life and not only that, even I would stand with them too. But, sometimes you are wrongly judged and wrongly heard and that breaks everything. So, why not we all should walk alone and face whatever comes, instead of standing with a group of fake people."

I listened to him keenly and I also felt that somewhere or the other he is right at his point. After all the person who faces, he/she only knows the pain. We are just so-called people who come and tap their shoulder saying that everything going to be all right. I didn't feel pity for this person or sympathize him for his life where he has nobody right now. For just to make him smile and to be someone when he needs, I put my hand on his shoulder and told him, "Don't worry brother, this whole discussion was meant for something. You don't consider yourself to be alone, I'm there for you whenever you need me. By the way, we meet here every day so, we can chat and share anything we each other. Don't worry, I'm there. So, let's be friends." and I put my hand forward.

He looked at me and was silent for a couple of minutes. Then he looked straight into my eyes and said, "friends? I think. No.", he stood and walked away without even seeing once. I sat there thinking what just happened I think he was also right as I was just a listener and not someone who could feel that. I just acted to be someone who could be a part of him by not being a part of him. a virtual man just present physically. Half of the people are the same and today for him I also became one from them.

Sometimes life even gets tired of giving chances to prove. Just be it any relation, be there when you mean it. Be there, when you want to be a part of it.