MY SUPER GIRL

"Put on your thinking cap, honey!" I told myself. Our English teacher had told us to prepare on the topic,'An incident that proved to be the turning point of my life' AND she was going to make us say it in front of the class. Scratch-scratch-scratch. I scratched my head.

Hmm.Scratch-scratch. AGAIN. '??This one? No...then this? Nahh.This one ! Shut UP...AAAARGH!!!' there was a World War III going on in my mind.I could not decide exactly WHICH incident to pick.I and my friends had agreed that there had been no such incident which had changed our lives. HOW much of "life" had we seen really? Just 15 years!

Grumbling about how 'unfair' the teacher was ,I rummaged my memories again..."Come on,anything which touched you..anything which inspired you..YES!!!" I did a jig and cried in triumph....A series of images flashed across my INNER EYE (Professor Trelawney?)

So here's what the memory was all about...

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ZZZZRTTT!!! Flashback:

I was attending a get-together with my mother and was damn tired of answering the bullets of questions that adults fire at us poor kids...Smiling (rather faking a smile) I freed myself , deciding to go and make some friends...But alas! None of the people my age seemed interested.

I was wandering aimlessly now, when i felt a tug at my elbow.I turned around to look into the face of a tall, willowy girl who was smiling at me as though she was my BFF (Best Friend Forever FYI) since my diaper days!

Nevertheless, I smiled back. Then she put her fingers together and gestured at her mouth, asking me whether I'd eaten anything. "No", I shook my head, still amazed. She was making random gestures with her hands when her little sister came to me ( probably seeing the question mark on my face) and just as cheerfully offered to take me to the food-stall.

It was only after those few moments of confusion did it dawn upon me --- this girl could not speak.Honestly, I'd just thought she loved talking by signs and nothing else, 'coz she was so lively!After my tummy was full, I set off with these girls to take a tour of the venue. Jyoti (I forgot to tell you her name),I was told by her sister,had to use a hearing machine at school...I stared at the sister's smiling face for a moment, and was about to say something, when I was distracted by Jyoti's unstoppable questions. I had a difficult but amusing time making her get my name --- "Roo-chaaa" I mouthed. Finally I searched out a pen and wrote it on her hand. She looked at it and smiled. "Ruchaaa..." she mouthed too.

Soon we were engaged in an energetic conversation. Sorry, did I say 'conversation'?I meant 'conversations'! Man, she spoke so fast that she could give Shekhar Suman an inferiority complex. So we went on, talking animatedly. She, using the sign language and I, pointing or making some simple (and silly) hand movements I'd learnt through my dance steps . Obviously unknowing people around were staring curiously at us, but did I mind? NAAAH! I was too busy getting to know this simple, yet simply great girl. Jyoti talked to me about her siblings, her school, even enacted out how she'd copied in her exams!!! She was my age, but as she was taller, she was treating me like a younger, over pampered sis...she'd put her arm around my shoulder, force me to have snacks... Man, I didn't want the party to end!!!

After the many dance and song performances, it was time to let our hair down on the dance floor! I decided to drag my friend to it, but what happened was exactly the opposite--- within seconds, I was on that lighted platform...and Jyoti? She was dancing like there was no tomorrow!I wondered how she could dance without music...perhaps she was listening to a song sung by her heart?

Then came the dreaded part--- the party had ended, and everyone was leaving... Jyoti accompanied me till the entrance. I wanted to thank her for making my day, but you know that strange thing which happens when you're very emotional? I kept quite and waved my hand in farewell and she did something which truly touched me---she hugged me!That warm hug, I can rate next to only my mom's...

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I have met Jyoti many times since then, and each meeting has been special...just like her. I'm still awestruck by that girl... How easily she makes friends, how she doesn't let her disability come in her way, how effortlessly she expresses her feelings for the people around her.She has taught me to be happy with myself, to overlook my limitations...I am PROUD to be her friend! She's quite true to her name... Jyoti--- the flame of a lamp , it spreads light and warmth , casting away the darkness...she too, spreads joy and warmth all around...her happiness is infective!

Hey Jyoti , I just wanna tell you this, you're my inspiration, you're...MY SUPER GIRL!!!!!

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P.S: Guys, this is a true incident...I haven't made it all up ... Some of you thought it was my imagination at it's best, and it felt bad. Well, you are free to think whatever you want to, I just wrote it 'coz it was close to my heart.