With love, from a stranger.
I made four friends, including a kitty, on my recent travel to Shillong. This piece is about them.
When you make friends, you always have the hope they will stand up for you and back you up in any situation. And it’s not out of compulsion—but pure love. However, it differs completely from the term ‘friends with benefits.’ They are business partners, not friends. But what about strangers? Most of us who help someone we have never met before and have no plans to meet in the future expect nothing in return. We do it because we owe it to humanity; some do it out of fear of God.
Eric, Jo, and Will were strangers until the evening of 22nd November 2022. But on that day, when Shillong was placed under curfew owing to a flurry of violence, they helped a stranger, expecting nothing in return. Every shopkeeper pulled down their shutters as police and the army moved into the capital.
Eric, the owner of Travellers Bed and Breakfast, has a rule: no lunch or dinner. Just breakfast. It was already noon when I received word that they had cancelled my event. Small eateries and cafes were closed. Jo and Will, the caretakers, who are also the chefs of the B&B, told me not to worry when they saw me scrambling for a packet of biscuits in my bag. I had only a pack of cigarettes with me. Five minutes to 3 in the evening, Jo brought a large tray to my dorm. On it, a plate of warm rice, a bowl of curry, chunks of onion, and green chilli were there. Who does it? At night, short of vegetables, Will phoned someone nearby and ordered a ‘thali’ of rice and fish for me. Eric never asked me to go out in search of food. They provided me with a ‘safe house’ at a time when tourists, staying near Police Bazaar, were asked to leave their rooms by the hotel owners, fearing repercussions from the locals.
Eric, Jo, Will, and even Minny, the furry cat, became my friends in a city I hardly recognize. They made sure I could safely call it my second home. Now, they expect something from me. They anticipate love and respect. And that will be there forever, for whatever they have done for me, it is beyond what one does for a stranger.
Next time you’re in Shillong, stay a night in this beautiful place at Mawlai (map location) and say hello to them from my side. Stroke Minny's head, feed her something from your plate, and watch as she rubs her body against your leg out of pure affection. What is this if not love?