Strangers

It is more than 15 years old story. I landed in Barcelona to attend a conference and after quickly checking into the hotel booked for me, I casually went to the venue of conference going to be started from the next day. It was late in the afternoon. After taking a walk around the venue which happened to be a part of a palace, I had nothing to do and just sat in one corner. I always used to wear sarees even while I travelled abroad. Someone came to me and was glad to see that I was an Indian and introduced himself. He was a professor in an American University and happened to be from same state where I belonged in India, and we spoke the same language. His name was Dr. Shastri, and he was also attending the same conference as I did. Though I felt relieved to find a company, I was guarded initially as it natural under the circumstances I was in. The place was new to me. Though he was a stranger to me, I had nothing to fear about him, as we were attending the same conference. But I was cautious instinctively.

We spent some time sharing our backgrounds, we understood that we had some common academic interests and opportunity for collaboration. After wandering for some time in the streets and window shopping, we wanted to eat something, and we came to know that both of us were strict vegetarians. We never realized that it would be so difficult to get a simple vegetarian meal, even a sand witch. Mainly the language was the problem as English was not commonly spoken there. We had to go by the appearance of the food rather than by names. We went round looking for food and Dr. Shastri insisted that I must not go empty stomach, when I wanted to give up the search. Finally, at around 9.00 PM we found a place where some vegetarian food was available. I was extremely tired after all the activity of the day and was glad to be able to sit on a chair. I hung my handbag on the empty chair by my side and was looking around when we both saw a boy gesturing animatedly to us from little distance, as if he was trying to tell us something. Later we realized that he was diverting our attention, and, in the meantime, a second fellow stole my bag and disappeared without our knowledge. All this happened very quickly. The bag had a camera, few valuables and few dollars. Luckily, I had kept my money and passport in the hotel locker. We decided to deal with the matter the next day and left to our respective hotels.

To our shock and amusement, next day at the conference registration desk we are waiting saw that there was a long line of participants who were to lodge a complaint of theft. All of them, mostly American citizens, were robbed off their handbags and purses and lost their passports. I did not expect that theft would be so rampant and we would be robbed so easily by strangers.

 I was always puzzled by this incidence. I was unsuspecting of the strangers in a foreign country. As long as they were faceless, I was unsuspecting. Is it that when we see them in reality our perception changes and we start judging them as good or bad, based on our previous experience, cultural reasons and so on. This is my experience with strangers in a new place. After this I became excessively careful and alert while travelling alone.