Ok, this is a long one but it is worth the read. So, last month I went to Kuala Lumpur – My first trip to Malaysia. I loved it! It felt like America, but everyone drove on the left side of the road. Ergo, happy medium! I explored quite a bit and came back to India with the profound understanding that Malaysians LOVE live music. Man! Wherever I went, there was music – Subway, food court, hotel lobby, food fair – and it was GOOD music! But as always, all good things must come to an end and so did my Malaysian adventure.

On our way back, my papa-figure colleague got upgraded to business class and insisted on letting me have his spot. After much persuasion I finally agreed and excitedly marched my way to this area that had a ‘Class’ of its own. I’d NEVER been on this side of the curtain before. I was super excited! Hehe. I ended up sitting next to this really jovial, enthu-cutlet like man who later became my crash course on all things business class. From helping me figure out where to keep my luggage, to how to get my foot rest going, to ordering a meal – Yes, in business class, the choice is more than “Vegetarian” or “Non-Vegetarian,” and you can’t just kick up your foot rest. Ask me. I know. I tried, struggled, failed and then in a rather amused tone came the instruction, “Just push the button” and voila, the foot rest came out!

After barely 5mins of ice-breaking small talk, this new friend really caught me off guard with the question – “So, who are you in love with?” Hahahaha! I know you’re laughing too. You’d think I’d be irritated at the complete lack of personal space on a question as private as that. But surprisingly, I found it rather refreshing, having gotten tired of the usual superficial conversations that simply stick to, “So, tell me about yourself.” I don’t know if he really wanted to know, but it felt good to have someone be interested in my life. Before I knew it, we talked about, what seemed to me like everything under the sun, including my love life, or the lack thereof. I’ve come to realize that there’s something very special about talking to strangers – at least strangers like this one – because there is no reason whatsoever to have your guard up. I mean, what are the odds that I’d see him again? So down came the walls. And as we chatted, yes,

I let him get in a few sentences as well, I enjoyed the complete genuineness of the conversation, the lack of pretense, and the wow, you’re actually interesting, aspect of it all. One thing that stood out in all of our chatter was this undeniable notion that this was no ordinary man that I was talking to. The more we talked, the more I realized that he was a business tycoon of sorts. Good thing I hadn’t a clue of who he was. If I did, trust me, I would’ve sat next to him like either he or I were a ‘Touch me not’ and I wouldn’t have dared to open my mouth in front of it. Then again, nowhere during our conversation did this gentleman have any air about himself. He was actually quite a nice, HILARIOUS dude. I have no idea how fast the 5hrs on the flight zipped by.

Talking to my newfound friend really made me think about the prejudices I have. I mean, if I knew he was a fraction of the big-shot that he is, I probably would’ve just assumed that he wouldn’t want to talk to me. And boy, would I have missed out on so much. He gave me a sneak-peak into a world that will most likely, 99.9%, never be mine. I got the front row seat to the highlights of this man’s life, who, in my opinion has the Midas touch, and yet, no chip on the shoulder was found. I am so glad I had no idea who he was when I met him, because I got to know the person that he is, rather than be shaded by his accomplishments and glory. In our conversation, the topic of my Alopecia came up – don’t ask me how – and by the end of the conversation, I had him bantering about a “Hey baldy!” Lol! And no, I was not offended. It felt good to, for once, not have someone feel sorry for me. It was good to meet a man who was beyond reach on the totem pole, yet to me, in those 5hrs, was as down to earth as can be – until he started bragging about the amazing shower he had in his hotel room. Gah! Jk.

In my entire rendezvous with my new friend, there was one thing he said that stuck with me. He said, “I am worth too much.” “Well of course you are! You’re a BUSINESS TYCOON with the Midas touch” I thought. But as I said my goodbyes and got off the flight, I couldn’t help but ask myself, “What then am I worth?” I’m a nobody. Now before you get all riled up about that statement, I don’t mean to be self-deprecating but if we’re being honest, you know it’s true. I don’t have a fancy job, I can barely make ends meet, I don’t have the Midas touch… heck, I don’t even have a green thumb! Nothing.

Like I said, I am a nobody. So, what am I worth?

And in the stillness of the night resonated these crystal-clear words – “You are worth three nails, 1.5 gallons of blood, a cross and an empty tomb.”

So, am I worth too much? ABSOLUTELY!

In closing I must say – I lift my eyes up, my help comes from the Lord!

PS: My hope is that one day I will sell this photograph and make millions of dollars! 😁