They say the aunties who sit near us on trains penetrate into our private lives and try to figure out every tiny detail about us. But once, while talking to a woman, these absurd theories were proven wrong.

She began by asking how long it would take to reach Calicut. I told her it would only be a matter of minutes. Me, being a typical introvert, didn't bother to cook up a conversation after that. I expected her to raise the next question as to why I’m travelling alone. But I was taken aback when she started talking about herself. She kept on speaking among the “chay-vada” hustles on the train. She talked about her problems at home, mostly financial ones. She talked about her kids whom she couldn't send for higher studies. She talked about the way she was treated by her in-laws and in the same breath advised me to choose a better spouse with decent in-laws.

This stunned me! The transparency she had while speaking, and that too to a random stranger. I felt that it wasn't fair that she shared almost half her life stories while I kept my mouth shut. In return, I willingly told her about my college, the changes that crashed into my life after moving to an entirely new place and, finally, about the family who is settled seas apart from me. Soon she started thanking God by being grateful enough as she got to meet her kids daily.

It was at that moment I realised how my trivial words gave solace to an unknown stranger, that too unwittingly. At first, I didn't try to lighten up her mood, but by some means, the insignificant issues I faced melted her heart and she realised how grateful she was for the small blessings in her life.

I know I won't meet her anytime soon but I owe her one for this short spurt of conversation on the train, because it was a priceless one. Towards the end, not only did she look less burdened, but I too learned that each individual has problems to deal with in their life. You either learn to live through it or try to forget it and be appreciative of what you’ve got. It is always the small things – like this conversation – that count the most.

Sheza C. is a writer and postgraduate student of Mass Communication and Journalism at St Joseph’s University.

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We’ve grown up hearing that “it’s the small things” that matter. That’s true, of course, but it’s also not – there are Big Things that we know matter, and that we shouldn’t take our eyes, minds or hearts off of. As journalists, we spend most of our time looking at those Big Things, trying to understand them, break them down, and bring them to you.

And now we’re looking to you to also think about the small things – the joy that comes from a strangers’ kindness, incidents that leave you feeling warm, an unexpected conversation that made you happy, finding spaces of solidarity. Write to us about your small things at thewiresmallthings@gmail.com in 800 words or less, and we will publish selected submissions. We look forward to reading about your experiences, because even small things can bring big joys.

Read the series here.

This article went live on December sixth, two thousand twenty five, at zero minutes past eight in the morning.

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