PDA

The phrase ‘Public display of affection’ has been in the bad dictionaries for quite some time now. PDA according to internet searches dealt with touching, kissing, holding hands, nuzzling etc. But, actually, affection is a gentle feeling of love or care for another person. That is all!

I recently read an article about a small boy at the Matunga railway station, Mumbai. He had been standing there at the railway station holding a 3 times bigger umbrella for a long time. A girl who was very curious about what he was up to, walked close to him. He looked at her and asked, ‘Do you need to walk somewhere?’. The girl was covered till her hip in a raincoat but still said yes. The boy opened the umbrella and walked with her till the closest bus stand. The girl was surprised and enquired why he was doing so. The boy just smiled and shrugged his shoulders. The girl further asked if he would take some money in return of the favor, but he replied saying ‘I am not doing it for money. It just feels good. If at all, I feel like, I would ask them to buy me a cup of chaai.’ The girl offered to get him a cup of tea and a few biscuits but he rejected saying that, she hadn’t used his service fully and ran away back towards the station.

Another article from the internet runs in the similar line. A guy (a muslim, who was on the fast for Ramzan) reached the main bus terminus after a long tiring travel from his office, in an overcrowded bus. It was time for him to finish the fast but had forgotten his pack of dates and water bottle at office. Thirst pricking him so hard, having no other choice, hesitantly, he walked towards the "Amma drinking water" counter and bought a bottle of water. His eyes fell on a old lady who was lying there on the platform, struck by poverty and hunger. "Can I buy you some food?" The guy asked the old lady to which she replied "Can you just get me some water? I am thirsty." This guy gave off the unopened bottle of water to her and boarded his next bus, contended, completely forgetting his fast and thirst. Just after the bus started, another guy (an unknown muslim) sat next to him saying, "As-salamu alaykum. Come on brother, let us finish our fast" and handed over to him an unopened box of dates and a new bottle of water.

There are instances when we do get the smallest favor which ends being the savior of our day.

For instance, just think of the day, when...

- You are few feet away from your bus and you listen to the conductor’s whistle. You are running to catch it but you are pretty sure that you would miss it and somebody holds the bus for you.
- You are getting off a vehicle or any public transport amidst heavy traffic and someone frees your apparel that was clinging to a nail or a projection out of the vehicle which had started moving.
- You are having trouble in standing in an overcrowded bus and someone offers you their seat assessing your discomfort.

Caring for a fellow human being is the most humane thing anyone can do. Whether you know the person or not, does not matter but showing a bit of care or courtesy would bring a great impact on your day and the other person’s as well. That simple gesture or deed could be the reason behind someone’s happiness.

I have been displayed affection publicly.

Recently, we moved into a new apartment and our home was at the third floor. I am not advised to climb too many stairs as my breath control isn’t intact. Few days before, when I got back from work, I noticed that the lift wasn’t working properly as the door wasn’t closed. A resident of the ground floor apartment understood my hesitation and swiftly barged up the stairs and closed the door so that I could take the lift.

I have displayed affection publicly.

I always see a middle aged guy, who works for the municipality when I leave to work. We share a casual glance at each other every day. One day, when I crossed him, I noticed that he had dug into the garbage and was rubbing his hands off a towel that hung from his belt. He occasionally smelled his hands; the look on his face spoke his difficulty and disgust. I suggested him to cover his hands with a plastic cover so that it wouldn’t get into his nails and kept walking. He said, it didn’t help and kept rubbing his hands and smelling them. I stood there for a few seconds, walked right back to him and offered my water can to wash his hands. He readily took the offer. The contented look that I noticed on his face stays in my memory till date.

So, Public Display of 'Affection' is good and necessary too!!