(A valuable lesson from Lord Of The Rings)
In the classic tale of Lord of the Rings, Frodo Baggins lived in his own small universe at Shire. He never needed to visit even the village next to his whole life. But the moment he needed to step out of his comfort zone into an unknown world out there, what he feared most was not any Ring wraiths, any dark lord or any evil wizard. He feared this change itself, the unknown scared the hell out of him. Everything and everyone out there seemed to be harboring threats toward him. Until Strider (Aragorn in disguise) helped his pack of hobbits (saves their lives actually), united him with the wizard Gandalf and introduced to Elves, Men and Dwarves- warriors heard only in the lores and songs to these hobbits from a small village beyond the Bree town. Their famous fellowship I believe though didn't form at the great council of Elrond- the Elven king. Seeds of this fellowship were sown in that chance meeting at a Bree town motel itself.
Do you recall your first day in a new school? Remember what brewed inside your calm exterior that day? Were you feeling insecure, mortified, jealous, joyous or just too numb? Remember that kind face who smiled at you for the first time, calmed you down with a friendly nod, and later helped you connect with the larger group of friends? Well, I certainly do remember those FACES in my school life.
My first such experience happened at Blue Bird Public School, which was but just a homely building with many large rooms on its two spacious floors, at a walkable distance from my house in Alwar city. Well, my maternal grandparents' house to be honest. I spent first 16 years of my life staying away from my home in a village to study here. Out of these crucial formative years, a glorious first decade I spent at this BBPS school.
On my first day in LKG (lower kindergarten) here, what happened never ceases to put a smile on my face. Two punjabi kids, living in my street itself, Karan and Jitender sat with me. A little later into the day, Jitender brought out from the bag a pack of shaving blades, stolen from his father's grooming kit may be. He put one blade out to play, got it stuck into his lower lip and couldn't get it out. By the time Karan and I could help him remove it, he had started sobbing already. Fortunately, the baffled lady teacher took it out carefully and thrashed this kid. That incident even Jitender might have forgotten himself now but I can recall very vividly, since it helped me open up later with both the cousins and form a bond. Till the time, both of them moved to different schools, they were quite close to what I would call my first fellowship.
After the class 5th, I formed a new fellowship. It happened with a change in shift timing and I found myself among new people altogether suddenly. The same nervousness, loss of familiarity and a crippling fear of unknown returned. Rohit came to my rescue that day and later we turned it into quite a lifelong bond along with Nishant, Mohit, Manan and Aniket- all of them quite a unique personality in themselves. Though all of us were pretty decent at studies, it was playing Cricket in the name of studies what connected us the most, specially at Nishant's spacious courtyard. Most memorable incident I can recall with them happened when Nishant and Mohit came up with this rumor of a ghost in an abandoned waste processing plant on the way to school. All of us put our detective hats on and became Sherlock for a Sunday. Obviously, no skeletons stumbled out of those sticky closets, save a few dusty files, an old security guard whistling and chasing us, and Nishant almost twisting his ankle in a desperate jump to outrun him.
After class 8th, it necessitated for me to move to a new school, and once again the prospect of change scared the crap out of me. Luckily though, I had the comfort of Nishant and Rohit accompanying along this time. Or so I thought. When we landed at the notice board to check our classrooms, they both were put in 9F and I was put into 9E. They knew at least each other in a new classroom but I knew not a single soul. This school was bigger, scarier and quite the famous/infamous one in many ways. That day Sahil and Anshul came to the rescue and got me into their mix with a charm that came naturally only to them. Later Sahil, Anshul, Vikas, Ashok, Nisheeth, Hitesh, Neeraj, Nikhil and Rohit-Nishant, we became thick as thieves. The seeds of fellowship here were formed less in the classroom, and more in the playground or the cycle rides back home. Those flat tires to sugarcane juice treats- fun was never about spending more money. Quid-pro-quo deals made in game of maardhadi (hitting running targets with a rubber ball in an open play field)- taught me Negotiation skills better than any Dale Carnegie masterclass. The best of all, we didn't have those monsters called smartphones those days. So no distraction of social media or posing for selfies. We lived in just the moment. The fellowship we formed, stuck together for 5 years including the one year in Kota for IIT preparation. Anshul specially was my hostel mate for next 4 years in BTech and a lifelong friend I feel blessed to have. Such a long journey of 9 memorable years began with him and Sahil welcoming me into their own world with a pleasant smile and open heart.
In this journey called life, we all can claim to be in touch with only a handful of friends at all phases, like Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin. Most folks drift away soon, a few after a significantly long period but eventually, to a different school, college, company, occupation, even city. But they all leave behind their own impact in shaping our lives. These fellowships formed have their seeds though, in those first moments, where one's soul is tormented with a fear of unknown and all one looks for is a hand to clutch on to. And at such an emotionally vulnerable moment, the one who ends this personal horror for somebody is nothing short of a hero, a savior, a lifelong friend one would like to have.
So when you see a new addition to your team at workplace, or in a professional or personal gathering, or just some random tough spot in life. Take notice, sit up and go beyond your usual courtesy limits and play Strider for these young hobbits. They would remember you forever as the Light-bringer who brought end to their unpleasant moments of darkness. And who knows, it might just be the beginning of a useful Fellowship.
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