I can remember the very first we met, I already formed my opinion that I did not like him.
This was the first occasion we were seeing each other and it was via a mutual friend. They were all talking, laughing, telling stories.
He Actually arrived late, shook hands with everyone with courtesy and sits on the corner of the table holding his phone.
At this point, I was just staring.
I was thinking in my head, This is a boring person.
Probably unserious.
I hate to say this, but I did not even make any effort to hide my concern.
I gave short replies.
Barely asked questions.
I had already formed my view regarding the kind of person he was.
And I was completely wrong.
Months later, we were made to hang around one another, owing to work. I didn’t have a choice anymore. It had to be us communicating, arranging, and sorting things.
Initially, I was irritated. he had not still spoken loudly Because i like people to speak so that I can get to know the personality of a person from the things they say..
He Still did not want to impress anybody.
He Still did not talk much about himself.
I waited for something... anything... just to confirm what I thought in the first place.
But In actual fact, just the opposite took place.
I started paying attention to detail. The manner in which he remembered things that had been forgotten by other people. How he was able to listen and not to speak. And how he was never annoyed, And yet he never failed to do what he was supposed to do.
During one of the days when we had to work collectively, I was stressed due to a personal issue. I did not say a word, when he somehow noticed. He didn’t make a big deal of it.
He just quietly said, Are you alright?
I was caught me off guard.
He didn't say what is wrong with you?
He didnt say you look tired.
He Just said… “are you okay?”
After that, we began to talk. Still no pretences, real Conversations this time.
About fear. About ambition. With regard to losing oneself through pretence.
About the pressure to succeed. About family expectations, and about failure.
We were a lot alike, in a lot of ways.
He admitted that he had things that he had experienced and never talked about.
Financial struggles.
Emotional disappointments.
Periods when he felt lagging behind in life, but never did he carry it bitterly. He bore it as silent power.
And then I felt guilty.
I judged him for his silence, not his substance.
I judged his calmness and mistook it for emptiness.
His Gentleness i mistook for weakness.
But In reality, he was a very stable person when it comes to emotions, the one I had never seen.
Worse still, I had brushed him aside so easily and I had not even trird to truly know him.
We judge people, and we do it subconsciously.
It is not as if we are bad but the human brain wants shortcuts.
but shortcuts can not fit with real people.
The mental image I had of him did not exist. I created it.
Because of his, i always recall to not assume whenever i meet new persons.
I remember how wrong I was.
I was close to missing out on a genuinely good human being.
Sometimes, silence can hide depth, and Virtue may be disguised within modestness. This is his Favourite quote..
He still remains one of the people i have had a genuine human connection with till date.