Sanjay Shukla

It’s not rain this time. It’s something else, something quieter, yet more powerful, that changed me. You see, there are moments in life when a person walks in…not with fanfare, not with noise, but with the quiet strength of love and kindness. And suddenly, the broken pieces of your heart start finding their way back together.

That person, for me, was a colleague. A co-worker who slowly became much more – a sister, a mother, a friend. Someone who held space for my nonsense, listened without judgment and reminded me that even in the darkest corners, light can be found.

We had been working in the same place for years, six of them to be exact. But my respect and affection for her grew not from routine meetings or casual office chatter. It began when I learnt her story.

She had come to this city alone, carrying the hand of her little boy — barely 9 or 10 years old. She had nothing but grit in her eyes, courage in her chest, and the stubborn determination to build a life from scratch. No backup, no safety net. Only her child, her strength and faith in herself.

That revelation shook me. At a time when I myself was losing my ground — struggling with my own mind, my personal demons, my silent battles — her presence became an anchor. While I was slipping into shadows, she was the one who pulled me back toward light.

She stood by me with patience that only love can teach. She cajoled me when I resisted, scolded me when I gave up, and reminded me – every single day – that healing was possible. That I was more than my failures, more than my pain.

Her love wasn’t romantic; it was something deeper. It was the love of someone who sees your wounds yet refuses to let you bleed alone.

She was a little sister when I needed mischief, a mentor when I craved guidance, and at times, a silent punching bag who absorbed my mood swings without complaint. Above all, she was a friend – one with the rare patience to let me pour out my endless rambling, never once making me feel small.

And today, when I look back, I know this much: some bonds defy logic. We are born to different mothers, shaped by different worlds and circumstances, yet when our paths cross, something probably ancient awakens – an instant connection that touches our lives. Call it karma, call it the echo of past lives, but I know this: some relationships are written long before we meet.

And slowly, without even realising it, I healed. My laughter returned, my hope returned, and with it, my belief that life still had meaning.

I don’t know what time will do. Life has a way of scattering people, of pushing such angels away when you least expect it. But I pray, with all my heart, that I don’t lose her to time. Because she has been more than a colleague, she has been proof that love and kindness can heal, that hope can be reborn, and that sometimes, one person’s courage is enough to rewrite another person’s story.

And if you ask me what love is, or what kindness is, I would say it is simply someone standing beside you when you can’t stand at all.

That, to me, is her gift. That, to me, is why I believe in kindness. And that, to me, is why I believe angels still walk among us.