Little Joy

It was raining quite heavily by the time we stepped out of Barnes and Nobles. Ajay shot me a look that threw daggers at me, implying somewhat unfairly that even the rain was my fault. I shrugged, my expressions carefully non-commital, fishing simultaneously in my coat packet for a pack of cigarettes. It was a New York reflex. When caught unaware by New York rain, it is often a city ritual to pause in shaded safety, light a cigarette and sigh out a whiff of smoke as one ponders about how long he or she is going to remain stuck there.

Ajay was my room mate. He had called on my phone after school to let me know that he preferred to please NOT join me at Barnes and Nobles, and instead get home to work on some assignments. But I had urged him to join me here. And had selfishly made him wait while I browsed for books. Just twenty minutes, I had promised, stalling his complaints about the enormity of tomorrow's assignment.

Twenty minutes later, we stumbled out to find that what had been clear blue skies when we had entered, now rumbled with thunder and pouring rain. It was as though the God of New York had looked down upon his city and been miffed by how ungrateful and unappreciating his people seemed to be about the beautiful city he had bestowed upon them. Thus miffed, he had decided to punish them, like errant school kids ought to be, by taking away the nice day and giving them some rain instead.

Hence, the rain came down, pattering purposefully at us. And we countered by carefully put our backs against the Barnes and Nobles display window and lighting up our smokes. Standing there, I took a couple of drags, knowing very well that Ajay must be seething in fury, and realizing, a little belatedly, that I should not have wasted his time. I cast a sideways glance at him and noticed how his face had set into a scowl. I hated that scowl. Living with someone for a time period often makes you hate certain things about them. And with Ajay, it was that stupid, stupid scowl of his. Damn him, I thought. I countered by putting on the best scowl I myself could muster.

As we both stood there, scowling for eternity, cursing each other for being the thickheads we were, cursing the rain, New York's unpredictability in weather and everybody with an umbrella that passed us, when we suddenly saw a well dressed middle aged lady walking quickly before us.

And before we could register what was happening, the shopping bag she was holding on to suddenly split open from the bottom, spewing vegetables, food cans and some magazines all over the wet roads. She let out a startled "oh!" and stood in the rain, holding on to her umbrella and looking helplessly at her supplies on the road.

Almost at the same time, a man in a raincoat was coming down from the opposite side of the road, facing her. His face registered a moment of surprise, but he hopped to the right in what was probably a knee jerk reaction and walked on, not stopping to help.

Ajay and I looked at each other nonplussed. But it was only for a moment. I like to believe now, that it was me that plunged forward to help the lady, but Ajay was right there on the wet road with me, when we started picking up the vegetables.

When we had somehow managed to gather all her items together, Ajay produced a plastic bag from deep inside his college bag. We put her things into the plastic bag and handed it to her.

"You boys are very kind", the lady said, almost wistfully. "Nobody stops to help anybody in New York these days."

"Well, you take care of your bag now ma'am", I say, not sure how else to respond to this little sad commentary on city life.

"Thank you", she says again and we shuffle with our hands in our pockets, nod that it is alright and bid her goodbye. As we walk back to our shade, we notice that both of us are drenched in rain, and that we had involuntarily throw our cigarettes to the ground half smoked.

I turn to look at Ajay and see that he is smiling like an idiot. I myself begin to feel a warm joy spread through my stomach.

"Random act of kindness", I say, grinning stupidly.

It was still raining quite bad. We still needed to figure out how to get home. But for ten minutes, we stood like two fools in the rain and grinned stupidly.