Cue pal

It was a Sunday and I and my friend biked out to get a gift for my colleague’s twin babies who are going to celebrate their birthday tomorrow. We stepped into few toy stores and could not zero in on any gifts and decided to relax playing a game of snooker which we happened to play during our days together onsite. We checked into a billiards bar and we were relieved to find an unoccupied table inviting us to play. We booked it without wasting much time and for our dismay we couldn’t find the cue stick which is used to strike the ball, without which a game was impossible. We summoned the waiter to bring us a cue and after few minutes of checking the waiter returned to us empty handed saying that they have run out of all the cues they had. It was quiet understandable as it was a Sunday and all but our table was booked.
I checked around all other tables and the guys who were playing there to spot if any of the table had more than two allotted cue sticks. I engrossed in a contention with the waiter claiming there should be at least one cue stick somewhere with which me and my friend can start playing the game sharing a common cue stick. As a player you need a cue stick in your hand all the time even while watching as your partner plays his turn to get a feel of the game and also to be in rhythm. Unlike in total unavailability as in my case a common cue is always going to be a pain. A common cue is a luxury in inaccessibility just like any other thing.
As I was about to give up and get back to my place a guy who was playing in the nearby table came forward and rendered the cue stick which he was using. I was really taken aback pleasantly to that kind of gesture from a stranger. He was playing with his partner who had his cue and it’s an incommodious feeling to share a common stick when two players are involved in the game. Despite that fact this guy came forward out of his comfort zone to help couple of strangers have a relaxing time. Not many have a heart and attitude to realize other’s difficulty and step to the fore with a helping hand without even seeking. Not for the first time that I am experiencing this kind of magnanimous gesture that I decided on the first instant not to miss people like this who are hard to come by in life. I got acquainted to this guy and exchanged pleasantries and our background. He did his graduation in my hometown, he stayed near my house during his college days and yet we got an opportunity to meet only now and to top it all up he shared my brother’s name.

His name is Ashwin and I dedicate this post to that humble heart that was willing enough to go out of the comfort zone to see some stranger smile. That gesture thoroughly deserves an appreciation and I am taking this space to do it. I like to tell him that his gesture was contagious and it has instilled in me a new value.