Over the past 3 months, I have told many "good bye" s. But today, at the airport, waiting to see-off my niece, I saw and realized a few things.
Standing at the airport, in the continuous Mumbai rains, with cool breeze and occasional downpours, I was enjoying myself.
I watched families and friends bid farewell to their loved ones. Their light humor, a few warm hugs, a few moist eyes, sometimes, the deafening silence amongst them, realizing with every passing minute, how they wished they had some more time to spend with each other.
So many people, so many emotions! All bonded by love! I saw people smiling, as they looked at their phones ringing, crying looking at messages, frantically trying to speak to as many people as possible. Yes, also trying to spend some time, just holding each other, trying to say all they wanted, mostly without speaking any word!
Kids excited by the prospects of flying! and expectations from the new world they are going to live in. The kids left behind, suddenly crying, when they realized, their brothers and sisters, who would always get them a chocolate when they cried, will not be there all the time now.
Friends giving a surprise send off! Lovers sitting at the coffee shop, hoping to spend a little more time for each other, with each other.
People you love, make you do funny things. Make you proud, make you sorry, make you feel wanted, you miss them as much as they miss you. Make you sit up all night, packing their bags, make you plan one last dinner, one last party. Make you say bye, again, for one last time, (this last time comes again and again thou), make it so difficult for you to say goodbye. Make you give a call each and everytime you get some time! Make you pray your trip is over even before it starts. Make you pray, they came along with you.
In the last 3 months, I have visited the airport twice, railway station 4 times, visited my friend at their home, made people leave home early and make it to the nearest coffee day shop, made my mom prepare sweets, bought few gifts, some i gifted, some i didn't get the chance, some i just didn't want to. Through all of this, I know , saying Good-Bye is not something I like! Now when i look back, when my friends and family return from their trip I just cannot express how much i missed them!
May be because they missed many people, and I missed only them. May be because I just dont want to show how much i missed them. May be it is the thought that crosses my mind that they might find it silly. OR maybe, they already know how much i missed them!
I guess you really say Good-bye so you can stay together, to appreciate the time you spent together and to really appreciate the time they took out for your you when you needed it.
Saying GOOD-BYE isn't really bad after all!
