There's a park near our house. It's spacious, green, and well-maintained, which is a rarity in Mumbai. Its oasis-like setting was one of the key reasons why we decided to rent the house. 

Recently, I visited there in the evening. Being a Saturday, it was crowded, as all city-trapped individuals and families flock there for a sense of freedom. A dedicated section for kids adds to the allure. 

The sun was about to retire; maybe twenty minutes to go for the light to dim. After walking one round, I decided to take the stairs to a structure in between that offers a bird's-eye view of the surroundings. I reached the top and took a deep breath as if inhaling all the greenery I could see in the periphery. And there was the expanse: wide open blue sky slowly changing into its night dress. 

There were some people there (no escaping them, right?). A gang of teenagers were cracking jokes, two guys clicking photos, a family... After five minutes, I walked towards the light pole at the centre of the terrace-like structure and sat down facing the sky watching the birds, as they returned to their nests. 

Slowly, I settled into my meditation pose: folded my legs, joined my hands by intertwining my fingers, and closed my eyes. Breathe in, breathe out... 

The mind throwed up pictures as if I was seated inside a theatre and forced to view what was being projected on the humongous screen. When that picture (depicting a thought or thoughts) was not entertained, the mind discarded it and beamed another one, and another. I remembered that the key for the meditator is not to hold on to the thought/image, let the screen play whatever it wants. Do not engage, let go. After several 'do not engage' sessions, I ascended to a cocoon of calm. Nothingness. Blank. Wow! No thoughts, consciously; unlike sleeping. 

Not sure how much time had passed. The state of nothingness was probably just for a few seconds but those few seconds could have meant a day, a month, or timelessness! 

Being in and out of that state, I could hear the giggles, cackles, and exuberance of a few kids who were running round and round the pole I was seated beneath. The mothers were worried about their photos being blurry, perhaps it was getting dark! 

I was in one of those cocoons of calm when I felt something to do with my chest. It was an external sensation. I felt a touch. A gentle one, one of the gentlest I have ever felt. The cocoon was broken. I opened my eyes. And there it was, the source of the touch -- a toddler! 

I caught the boy in the act. His right arm was outstretched, and two black beady eyes looked surprised as they met my open eyes. Involuntarily, I smiled. I am not sure of the boy's reaction, maybe I was too overwhelmed at the thought of a kid touching my torso in a playful manner that I did not register his expression. I would like to believe he was pleasantly surprised rather than shocked. 

On noticing that he was caught, he toddled his way towards his mother. I could hear the ladies laughing. I smiled back and closed my eyes... Silence. 

Again, the cocoon. But I felt something. Not the touch. Perhaps something that was about to come my way. And there he was again! Two-feet tall, standing in front of me. Brown shirt and beige pants. Round face, greasy black hair falling on his forehead. And those black, beady, eyes. One could be lost in them... 

I saw him. He saw me. Perhaps he found it amusing that a bearded man wearing a white t-shirt and black track pants was seated with his eyes closed and was breathing in and out in 'his' park. 

I think he smiled. I believe he smiled. It was beautiful. 

We stared. It was as if I was telling him 'I knew what he was about to do.' And he thought, 'The man should not have opened his eyes before I touched him. This is unexpected. What to do? No user manual to refer to. No customer service to go to. Out of syllabus question!'

I sensed his confusion and closed my eyes. I let my smile linger on for a while and went back into the cocoon of calm. 

After a while, I opened my eyes, and it was dark. Everyone had gone home. Time to bid adieu to the park I thought and left thinking about the toddler who touched my soul.