Last Lesson of 2012

31.12.2012 remains in my mind as a very interesting day due to two contrasting incidents. Both with similar individuals.
Incident 1:
I was returning from office. I was on the phone while I was passing through a routine check at a local metro station. As soon as I was frisked by the security official there, I was waiting for my bag at the other end of the baggage screener. It was a few moments before I understood that my bag had got caught somewhere before it entered the screener and I so went back to adjust it so that it doesnt get caught midway again. After adjusting my bad I returned to the other end bypassing the frisking booth as I I had already been through it once. There was another security official who did not notice me during the initial few minutes near the screening counter and when he saw me bypass the frisking booth, he came and started pushing me. I was both shocked and angered at this manhandling. I tried explaining to me that I had just been frisked and had to return to adjust my bag that got caught at the screener. All the while the security official tried pushing me back. I lost my temper, told him he was very rude and didn't know how to treat fellow human beings and lectured him for a couple of minutes on the same. The other security officials broke our conversation before it could go beyond control. But not before I gave him a piece of my mind. Suddenly I realised I was on the phone and the call was still connected. Nishanth who was on the other end was surprised as he had listened in on everything that happened and we ended uphave a good laugh over the incident.

Incident 2:
I had just finished having dinner with Praveen and he had dropped me at another metro station as I was returning home. As I was going through the security check this time, (not on a call thankfully this time, and I also made sure my bag went through without getting caught mid way) the official who was frisking me started making light conversation with me.
Security: Kaisa tha aapka saal? (How was ur year?)
Giri: Naye naukri lag gaye. khafi aacha saal tha mere liye. Aur aapka? (Got a new job and so my year was good. And yours?)
S: Bahut karab tha. Chodo usse. Kahan se hai aap? (Very bad. But leave that. Where are u from?)
G: Chennai se hoon. Aap? (From Chennai. You?)
S: Main bhi south indian hoon. Maharashtra - Andhra order me mere gaav hain. Mujhe chennai bahut pasand hai. Main wahan IOCL me kaam karta tha. (I'm also a south indian from Maha - Andhra border. I was working at IOCL in chennai. I like chennai a lot.)
G: Wahan ka garmi se aapko aazadi mile hogi, phir tho? (So you must be happy that u escaped the heat of Chennai?)
S: Nahi, sardi sah nahi pa rahan hoon main. Garmi tho mujhe theek lagti hain. Chennai miss kar rahan hoon. Mera agli  posting chennai airport me hai (Not exactly. I am unable to bear the cold. I am comfortable with the heat. My next posting is at Chennai Airport.)
G: Phir ek din wahan milenge. (We'll meet there one day.)
S: Most welcome ji.
G: Good night ji.
S: Good night ji.
And I was smiling for a couple of minutes thinking about this friendly conversation. One I have not had with a complete stranger for a long time now.
These two incidents within a span of 4-5 hours made me think about an old proverb that goes somewhat like this. "The way people act towards you is a reflection of how you treat them." The new year was still an hour away and I was learning my last life lesson of 2012. I thought about these two contrasting incidents on my way back in the train and I had a smile on my face as I was gearing up for what lessons life had in store for me in 2013.