Whatever Happens ...

As the train left the train station, Maya couldn’t help but curse herself for her momentary morning laziness. Looking at the last sight of the train in the distance, she was simply reassured that her day wasn’t getting any better. Well, in hadn’t started off in a great way to begin with.

At 5.30 AM, she had snoozed the alarm and then dropped off in a sweet slumber. When she woke up, she knew she was already 30 minutes late for the day. And to add to that, the boiler simply shut off and there was no hot water. She had to quickly take a towel bath (if you could call it a bath !!), and dressed up in a speed that even stunned her. She poured out a glass of juice for herself while trying to make her toddler finish off the bottle of Gerber that just didn’t seem to get over. Just as she turned, she toppled the bottle of juice and messed up her crisp white shirt. Not knowing whom to blame she just started rambling about how she was only one in the house who ever did any work. Pranav, her husband, walked out of the bedroom with his face half filled with shaving foam and started to wipe up the kid and the mess on the floor.

As Maya redressed herself, she was wondering why so many things had to go wrong today … of all days, why today ? Today was the day she had the presentation that she was working on all month. Today, she would impress her clients so well that her company will simply have to give her that promotion that was long since due. As she walked out, Pranav handed her the glass of juice and said, “You go ahead. I’ve spoken to my boss and he said it would be alright for me to come in late today. I’ll drop Manasa at the play school and then go to work.”

Maya was ripped between relief, gratitude and guilt. Not knowing what to say, she kissed Pranav and Manasa good bye and headed to the train station only to find that the train had just left.

As she waited for the next train, she went over the morning’s happenings again and wished that she hadn’t rambled so much about Pranav not helping her out at home. Afterall, he was always there lending her a helping hand whenever she needed. She felt absolutely guilty. Just when she took her phone out to call him to apologize, the next train started to pull in.

As she got out of the New York Penn station, she looked at the long queue at the taxi stand. Why today of all days, she thought to herself! It took her just 3 mins to get a taxi, but it felt like forever. As she got into the cab, she couldn’t help but notice the sticker right in front of her, “Whatever happens, happens for a good reason”. It was definitely not something that she was going to enjoy that morning. She must have looked at her watch atleast 10 times in those 5 mins. The traffic seemed to move slower than ever and she felt like the whole world was conspiring against her to make sure she was as late as possible to work that day.

As the cab entered Broadway, she couldn’t help but notice that plane that looked so close. It was as if she could almost touch it. So, did the pilot doze off at the cock pit, she thought to herself. And just as she was watching, the plane zoomed right into the North Tower of the World Trade Center. The tower burst into flame and smoke and there was debris falling everywhere. She scurried out of the cab and watched in disbelief as a man jumped out of a window on the 86th floor, the very same floor where she worked.

She stood in shock as she saw people running helter skelter and she felt someone pull her arm and before she knew it she was also running on the streets while behind her another plane hit the second tower.

She thought she had been running for hours when she finally stopped and turned to look back. Where the two towers were, there was nothing but emptiness. And the sticker in the cab flashed through her mind. “Whatever happens, happens for a good reason”.

The morning’s events played through her mind endlessly. If only she hadn’t snoozed, if only she hadn’t toppled the juice bottle, if only she hadn’t missed the previous train … IF ONLY !!
As Manasa’s face smeared with baby food crossed her mind, she dropped to her knees and cried. She cried like she hadn’t cried ever before. She held her hands together and thanked God. She thanked God for all the miseries she had ever faced in life. For today, she realized that even the miseries that God gives, is a form of blessing in disguise !!

Whatever happens. happens for a good reason !!