Throw the other one out

The lady in front of me, holding a suitcase, getting into the train, slipped. Her sandal came off and fell through the gap between the platform and the train, on to the track. She turns to me, my slipper has fallen off. I thought , sorry , lady, there was a time, I would have risked my life and fetched your slipper, not anymore, though the mind is willing flesh is weak.

Please move, this train stops here for five minutes and there are many of us waiting to get in. She picked up her suitcase and started walking towards her seat. Throw your other sandal on to the track, it may be useful for a finder, I told her. It was 9 at night and I don’t think anybody was daring enough to go down and get her sandal, even for a fee.

I told my co passengers about the slipper that fell off

Ayyo, how will she walk with one slipper, does it have heals, oh she will be walking with her feet at different levels…, does she have another pair, she will have to walk barefoot from the train to the vehicle, it will be embarrassing, no ? That was from an empathetic madam, in seat number 42.

The next moment the lady appeared holding her slipper in hand and said, you know I got an idea, I will throw this one out. I said brilliant idea, madam, quick the train is moving. She rushed to the door and threw it down. On her way back to her seat, she was grumbling it was a costly one. I said, feel good about your noble deed of helping someone. The slippers are happy they are together and useful, the finder will be happy because the one who picks them will be someone who needs it. Is t it not better than one slipper with you and the other lying on the tracks far away, never to meet again, a useless pair.

The guy sitting next to me commented ,someone will pick them up and sell it and make money. I said may be, isn’t it better than hanging on to the one slipper?

I had a reason to feel thrilled by the lady’s action of throwing the other one out.

Going back in time to a train journey fifty years or so ago, our family of four were travelling to our home town. An argument happened and we started fighting when my sister picked my slipper and threw it at me or may be the other way round, I threw it at her, cannot remember.. It completely missed the target and went through the window, out of the train. My instant reaction was to get out of the train and retrieve the slipper ,since the train was moving slowly due to some maintenance work happening on the track. My mother held me back, otherwise, I would have got out of the train, picked up my slipper and ran after the train, never reaching it. Many a times I have dreamt (in my sleep) that I have got down from a train and has not been able to get back. Now I wonder, whether this incident is the cause of those dreams.

After the journey, when I told my cousin, Shankaran kutty, about the sister, brother and the slipper episode, he said “ you should have thrown the other chappal out, it would have been useful for someone “. His words made a huge impact, kicked myself for not doing it and since then I was waiting for someone, all these years, to drop a slipper, so that I can suggest to throw the other one. I am looking for opportunities to part with things which others can make a better use of. Sharing became a joy.

In life, we are reluctant to let go even when we do not need it. It’s a baggage in our minds, slowing us down. It’s the thought it is mine, its mine, that’s mine. This is a common mindset which is the reason for many miseries. Remember, you are a temporary custodian of things with you. Just try and clear off things you are not using, during the coming weekend or rather start immediately and feel light.

In your eagerness to be helpful, please do not throw both ends of the rope to a drowning fellow.

Breaking news : Attended a launch of new handloom products for domestic market ,by a social enterprise Kara ventures, working for the revival of hand woven fabrics. http://neythfabrics.com

Indu menon, brain behind kara ventures and neyth fabrics lighting the lamp with partner and cofounder Revathy,film personality, Lakshmi, goodkarma lady, Suma, Komala, Usha, cousins looking on and making it an all ladies affair