It was Friday, 18th September, and I was on my way to a meeting. I took a cab and, as usual, the moment I settled in, my phone came out. A call, a few messages, Instagram stories, Facebook… isn’t that what most of us do when someone else is driving?
By the way, I do know how to drive! I have been driving a four-wheeler for almost 30 years. But these days, I don’t enjoy driving much. So, sitting in the back of a cab has its own advantage. I can finish all the little things I never manage to do when I’m behind the wheel.
Today, after finishing most of my work, I put my phone aside and started looking outside. I actually enjoy reading shop names, hoardings and watching the madness of Lucknow traffic.
And then I noticed something.
A two-wheeler was moving alongside our cab. I have absolutely no idea what model or brand it was—my knowledge of bikes is almost zero! A middle-aged man was riding it and behind him sat two little girls, probably around 12 and 8 years old, both in their school uniforms.
I guessed he was their dad or perhaps their uncle, taking them home. A very normal sight between 1:30 and 3 pm.
But what made me smile was their four-inch-long smiles.
Both girls were happily eating softy ice creams.
And suddenly, I was transported back to the early 80s. When school got over, we would gather around thelas—sometimes for churan, sometimes for crushed ice cream, sometimes just an Orange Bar grabbed on the way home.
I used to cycle back home, so I never had the privilege of someone coming to pick me up. But watching these two girls brought back that simple joy.
Our cab and their two-wheeler stayed parallel for quite some time. Their softies were almost over, and now came the cones. The sisters were waiting for each other to finish. It had almost become a little competition!
The younger one had nearly finished hers, while the elder one was still enjoying a good three-inch piece of cone.
The traffic slowly cleared. Their dad—or uncle—accelerated and moved ahead.
But my eyes kept following those two little girls.
A few minutes later, they turned into another lane and disappeared.
I picked up my phone again and went back to work.
But for those few minutes, I had enjoyed a beautiful little break from life.
And I smiled to myself—
Little rides. Big happiness.
For them.
And, unexpectedly, for me too.
Shared By : APARNA MISHRA
Authors bio :
Founder of WomenShine and WomenShine Chamber of Entrepreneurship.
For over three decades, Aparna has worked across corporate leadership, entrepreneurship, women empowerment and community building. Through Aparna’s Perspective, she shares reflections on business, leadership and life.
