Lesson's learnt in one evening

Have you ever realized that sometimes we just base our opinions without confirming the facts. I do not consider myself presumptuous, but I just realized that subconsciously I was being biased, being judgmental without getting my facts right. Trust me, the feeling that followed this realization hasn't been all that good. The evening started off well, when I was set to go to the library to check out P.G Wodehouse..Jeeves series, to get my daily dose of humor. I happened to meet a new girl, from Bombay as well. I have met her a few times 'superficially', but did not behave quite 'friendly her. I usually try to be extra nice to new students and even in that case, a little biased towards people who are from Bombay (Yeah! I think I am a little prejudiced here):( The principal reason behind that being, I had heard a lot about her from other junta here and did not bear a particularly good impression in mind. Sometimes, impressions do clog your mind to an extent. It can be a little dangerous, coz then you might never know the real person, unless you consciuosly get rid of those preconceived notions. So, we started having a casual disussion in the parking lot and she was keen on seeing the public library coz she had never been there. So, both of us drove to the library, where I realized our taste in books were quite similar. I happily volunteered for her to check out few books on my account. Later, we happend to go to the 'Barnes & Nobles' cafe and started chit chatting. AS the evening proceeded, few things started creeping up in my mind For the three years that I have been here, "Do I ever recollect a time in my life, where I have spent some time with someone at B&N? "Do I recollect a time in my life, where I have spent the major part of the evening talking voraciously about "The life of Pi, Wuthering heights, Jhumpa Lahari, Galileo's Daughter, Ayn Rand etc"...?? The answer is a big NO!!! Somehow, I have never found anyone here who shares my interests in books and B&N. Something that is of immense importance to me. For me, the cafe at Barnes is the most calming and relaxing place to hangout. There's a strange companionship that you experience in midst of books and so far I have always been there all alone. But, the strange part is, this was what I thought was my choice. I never thought it would be so much fun if there was someone with you. We happened to chat endlessly about BOOKS BOOKS and BOOKS. No girl talks, no hollywood-bollywood stuff, above all nothing about research:) There was something striking about this girl. Coz, more than anything I was simply amazed that someone whom I did not know much about, shared my passion in reading. Something, that I would never have known, if it wasn't for the conscious effort that I made in order to explore it. The more I think about it, I realize that in life we meet different people, we form friendships but there are different levels at which we vibe with someone. Sometimes, somebody's sense of humor attracts you, on other times it is someone's maturity. You like being with them, even though you may not be supposedly good friends. We tend to categorize friendships, form groups and mingle with similar kind of people. Label them as school friends, college friends, good friends, best friends, very good friends..etc.. But, we do not realize that there are certain friendships that we form which are of a completely different nature. Someone who shares a part of you. You might not know them completely nor is it required. But, there is a common thread that connects your lives.. In my case, it was a common thread of reading. There are a few people who inspire you in a certain way. Sometimes, The person who is working out at the treadmill can provide you with that much needed inspiration for exercising. A person, whom you don't quite know can bring that forgotten smile back on your face. A person, with whom you can discuss all your professional anxiety without having the fear of being ridiculed. Someone, with whom you relate on a different level altogether. For example, today, my 'blog friends' (Though, I hate to call them as blog friends, but for ease of understanding I use this word)..Vi,Bhole, Nandu, Pradyot,Jeenu, Z, Vik all enquired about me in their own ways. It was very comforting just to know that someone out there is listening to you. I was busy nursing my feet and all these guys were trying to bring a smile back on my face, helping me forget my agony. Little things, that mean a lot! There are certain friendships that are special in their own ways. What they do is precious, even though you might never be able to categorize those relationships. Anyhow, that becomes insignificant..after all, whats there in a name??