part-2...When i met her...

....After a hectic week, full of assignments and late-night returns to our abodes(of course, cz of the assignments); we all were looking forward for a break of 2 days. Not really an off from work-place. We had our soft-skills training scheduled for the next two days. And through sources, we got to  know that a lady was going to handle the 2-day session for us. All of us heaved a sigh of relief . It were a tough 2-3 weeks, with only gentlemen  handling our training(we did get bugged of them, it's really a turn off sometimes seeing only gentlemen all around you, showing extreeme professionalism, made-up fake smiles(smiling only because some god-damn book/seminars on 'professionalism' asks you to keep 'smiling' at work-place!!Given an opportunity, i would write a book on when NOT to smile!!)). Being away from home, and no motherly figure around, nobody to smile at u affectionately - had felt like coming into an unknown island. We all were waiting for her to turn up(of course, the guys were more than eager!!;))...

     --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

     It was around 9.30 a.m. A beautiful, charming lady entered our training room with some novel energy and a sweeeeeeet GENUINE smile , changing the aura of our room to a more lively one!! And trust me, the moment she entered the room, that little inner voice in me (my intuition/instinct) started talking to me loud and clear! And it said that it can read her very clearly, and can see 'ME' in her! I just sat silently, not responding to it; just let it wait and watch.

    The trainer took a few minutes to arrange her things on her table, and quickly got back to us.

   "Now before i start the session. let's have a quick brief introduction about each other. And i don't want anyone of you to tel what technical skills you possess, because i am not here to interview you, or train you technically. I just want you to tell me what is the ultimate dream of your life..."(and then something she said which i forgot, but she meant to tel us that the rest two days, we just need to be ourselves - OURSELVES- wow). And one by one, we gave our introduction. Though I felt like boasting about how many languages I know, and where i was born and brought up and stuff, i had finally decided to keep it simple, and  gave a plain introduction of myself. "I am Swathi Iyer, from Bengalooru. My dream in life is so and so". Straight, short and simple. I was more interested in knowing her name and background(only to check whether my intuition was right or wrong!).

      It was her turn now. "My name is Rashmi Vaidhyanathan. I am supposed to be a Tamilian, but I have never stayed in T.N.My mom is from ..., my dad is from ..., and I was born in ....married in ....currently staying in Bengalooru. So I have been to .....(places)..and so I love to call myself an Indian. I am an Indian.", and as she said this, my heart started thumping and pumping out of surprise/shock; and 'it' laughed at me saying 'hadn't i told you before, i see 'you' in her'.It was confirmed that my instinct was ekdum right, and the next two days i had nothing to do,but to listen to it and just wait for time to confirm whatever it said to me! I felt too happy and i didnot realize that i was smiling happily, until she noticed me wonder-struck as to why am i giving a smile with eyes wide open to her! Yeah. Though i had no clue about her name, I felt i had chalked out a part of her life, and she had just confessed a bit of it. That really made me happy. There was so much more to go..still more of that inner voice of mine to prove itself.!!It had already drafted an essay on her!

    The next 2 hours until the first coffee break were casual, with some tests on English language skills, my instinct tuk a rest during that time, just letting my mind work peacefully on the tests. It just wanted Rashmi mam to speak up, so that it prove proudly to me how powerful and strong it is! I gave a damn though, cz i already knew that i was supposed to blindly listen to it, without opposing.

     The session after the coffee break was quite interesting. It was a lesson on 'Business Communications'. And   once again, it was time for that little casper of mine to pop up and play up with me! Mam spoke of how to communicate and stuff. And the most remarkable thing was that,most of what she spoke was something which i have written in a book, about communication, somewhere during my 12th standard! HOW ON EARTH!!WHAT IS THIS??!!GODDDDDDD!!!Few lines ditto!!it was like someone's leaked out the contents of my book to her! And i was amazed! How true my instincts were, I finally realized that  indeed i saw myself in her! The way she spoke and expressed things to us, her expressions,gestures, style - touched each one of us. Mind blowing, fantabulous, full of energy and life, felt as if we were in a completely different world. - 'I wanna become like her, one day' - now, i spoke to my little casper! It replied nothing but just a grin. I failed decoding it, whatsoever it meant!

    It was the same session. After she was done with her lecture, she asked us to divide ourselves into groups of 5-6, and perform a short play with some moral in it. The session was fun, with each one of us exploring the acting skills in us - and i doubt i would have performed to that extent if there was any other trainer present!( i played a mentally retarded girl in the play). That was really a wonderful time,  it got the talented part outta each one of us. Freed each one of us from the pressure of the last few weeks that v had faced! The drama session concluded and mam gave us feedbacks . Now again it was time for her to speak, and my intuition to watch the show. Baaton baaton me, she spoke of her family to us(something which i was waiting eagerly for). Her hubby worked in defence, and she had twins (Bingo!!i could see my little spirit giving a sharp stare at me!That was expected. I was speechless, yet more than excited! How could some faces be so easily read! I got astonished as to why at all did it occur to me that she's got twins!). Now i couldnot stop, but ask a question to her....

     As soon as she let us for the lunch break, i walked up to her and asked, "Are you a Saggi, Mam?"..(the one question i ask each interesting person, who happens to touch my heart! I wonder whether i have become a Saggi-detector or what!). She was astonished, "Yes. How did you get to know?", she asked me in amazement. I didnot have any answer, all i could do was just smile helplessly at her and give a meek reply "just like that":)..And  later, we spoke about our birthdays, and few things interesting abt our birthdays - and that particular conversation made me feel that i am talking to myself - another me!! Each stance of her, every expression, each line she spoke - felt like somebody had read my dream(kinda a person i always wanted to be) and had personified it in form of her! Amazed!Astonished!Speechless!State of Bliss! This was the kinda feeling i got, extreme happiness, yet not expressible!A unique experience of a kind!  And my little casper having a great time seeing me in such a state of awe!

      I couldnot stop smiling and feeling grateful to that supernatural power, who brought her to us! How did i meet exactly her, out of all of the soft skill trainers of the world!. What calculations went into choosing particularly HER to come to us! Such a down-to-earth person. A strong personality. A kinda person i had always figured out in my dreams, written about in my books - somebody i had always wanted to become! At this instance i think of t famous alchemist quote "If you desire something, the entire universe conspires to help you achieve it".  Coz this is exactly what i had felt at that time, as if the universe had really read my  life and dreams, sorted out a person from among the lot, and presented her in front of me!(yeah,,i know these words sound too filmy,over-the-top,and too untrue to be digested; but when you really get this feeling, you cant help but put in the way exactly as they seem to be)

     Well, the rest of the training was as much fun. Packed with other lessons on English grammar, communication skills, and other interesting stuff like singing songs, playing games; and of course, few other facts revealed to confirm whatever i had guessed was right. And at the end of the 2-day session, I saw a little change in my world. The lady had just taught me so many things, indirectly. Her presence itself spoke all of it to me! So much, so that even Now when i think of her, i feel happy, relaxed! Thanks to the day when i met her, thanks to that soul which decided that she must be presented in front of us. Thanks to her - one of my dreams personified...:):)


**Note:
1) I purposely chose to give a title similar to the movie name 'jab we met'..(cz its one of my fav movies).
2) The name of the trainer is changed.

22nd june,2010..10:55 a.m

I was reading this post and she just passed by me:):):)she was busy, and didnot look around..so i couldnot talk to her:D

Cheersss....