On the way back from Majorda beach to Palolem beach in Goa, my friend lost balance, while riding at a turning on the highway. The most aware I have been of each passing second in my life, those few moments! And yet in twenty one years, it was the first time I realised love in its true sense. I got up, found my friend alive; then removed the grime from my teeth and hair, and checked for wounds. She got up, found me alive; then came close to passing out. Two other friends jumped off a moving scooter to hold us as we fell.
Our mothers generally bring girls up, conditioning them to not ask men for help;always go to women! Men see women in either a derogatory or lustful manner and could look to take advantage of you. Women always understand other women. That night, 'purple' oblivion was clouding my friend's eyes. Colour drained from our eyes, but she couldn't see them or anything else. A crowd of men instantly rushed to our side to help.Our upbringing taught us to fear them and we asked them to go ahead, lying that we would be able to manage. Would we? We would never know. They wouldn't hear of it, as they took our broken scooter back to our hotel and rushed us to the hospital. Here the nurses took us in to tend to us. Tend to us they did, while mumbling away in Konkani (the local language), their disapproval of our clothes and thereby the values of our generation.
I was reminded of the times when we talk in English before our household help, so s/he doesn't understand. So today we were treated as illiterates!
Finally, we returned to the men, who had been waiting outside to reach us back to our hotel.
Judge all, Trust Few, Love fewer they teach us. That day I learnt to Love all, trust few, Judge fewer!
