It was a beautiful Saturday. Bangalore was relaxing after a hectic week of blaring horns and smothering weather. The room was full of effervescent people eagerly waiting for the workshop to begin. The coaches had arrived and were spending a few moments with the participants as a warm up before the session. I had arrived unusually early, thanks to my stars that aligned to make it happen. When I signed up for this workshop, I had expected hardly 10 enrollments. Seeing a packed room of more than 40 people was surprising and overwhelming. All of them were seasoned professionals from varied backgrounds, with niche expertise. I smiled at a few seated near me and exchanged pleasantries. After about 20 minutes of looking around and shuffling my feet, the coaches started the session. The topic was “Business Storytelling”.
Curiosity and excitement filled the room. The coaches captivated us with some interesting anecdotes from their lives and intriguing stories from their story banks. They also engaged us with sprightly games in between. We were fascinated by the insights gained and the impact these stories had on us. We also listened keenly to enthralling experiences shared by fellow participants. Data storytelling blew our minds! We watched with wide eyed wonder, the creatives and graphics that were at display. All of us were spell bound seeing the messaging unfold on the screens. All, except one. Amar!
Amar was seated in the front row, very close to the coaches. I was stationed many rows behind him and hardly took notice of his presence, until I heard his voice over the mike. Amar asked a lot of questions and exhibited curiosity and keenness to participate in the proceedings. He was as engaged and excited as any of us, except when visuals were displayed on the screen. His optic nerves deceived him. They showed him only the dark contours of the world around. He interacted with the cohort quite effortlessly, but he could not see the smile on our faces or the sparkle in our eyes. His world was devoid of pixels.
This was the first time I saw someone with unique physical abilities participate in a workshop with several others who possessed abilities drastically different from himself. I was disturbed, intrigued and puzzled by this observation. I wondered what drove Amar to take part in a confluence full of so-called-normal-sighted people and gel with them with ease. Amar stood out in my mind, though he had mastered the art of blending in. I was worried if I was biased and judgemental, though that was not my intent. My mind was filled with child-like curiosity to explore Amar’s world; to know the unknown. I was actively engaged in the workshop, but my eyes were fixated on Amar.
The coaches created a safe space for us to share our personal stories with other members of the cohort, without any inhibition. After a soul stirring learning of an hour and a half, they announced break time. We were provided with tea, coffee and snacks, hi-tea as it is popularly called. As all of us trickled out one by one to fetch our refreshments, one human stayed back in the room. He was Krishna, the customer success manager at XYZ Corporation. I saw him bend over and whisper something in Amar’s ears. He took Amar’s hand, placed it on his shoulder and started walking towards the entrance. Amar followed him nonchalantly. At the pantry, Krishna went on to get a cup of tea and biscuits, while Amar spent time socializing with the participants. Krishna placed the cup and plate on a table next to Amar and helped him to it. I watched the two from a distance, black coffee in hand. They both were immersed in conversations with acquaintances of their interest. They did not chat much among themselves.
After about 15 minutes, all of us gravitated towards the conference hall. As if by intuition or a magical spell, Amar found his safe spot on Krishna’s shoulder without any prompt. They walked together into the room. There was no fuss, nor a flurry of emotions at display. They silently acknowledged each other’s role in this serendipitous get together and went about their acts without much ado. Acts of kindness are often loud, proclamatory and emotional. Here, I witnessed an act that was subdued, yet strong. Neither Krishna nor Amar was trapped in a web of emotions. There were no hidden conditions or expectations one had on the other. Both went about their lives independently, except for a few moments of togetherness, when they walked in or out of the room. Their interactions were brief and casual. They exhibited respect for each other’s spaces and preferences. They were bound by the silken thread of kindness, while their spirits roamed around in free motion.
Being a spectator of these beautiful moments filled my heart with ecstasy. Amar and Krishna shook hands and parted ways, when the workshop came to an end, as the sun’s rays bid goodbye to this side of the planet. But, their mystic bond remains etched in my memory. I learnt that, kindness is a powerful act of loaning someone one’s strength without reminding him/her of his/her weakness. It is a silent exchange of energy between two individuals brought together by the cosmos. Kindness need not be infused with love, empathy or any equivalent emotion. It can be as simple and subtle as breathing.
This story is inspired by the 100 day storytelling initiative by Your Story Bag. This is my story for day 17/100 of #2023TheStoriedWay
