When hell became heaven for me

I was telling the story sometime back, when I was in a train in India. It was very crowded and it was a third class train. This was in the 1970. The capacity said something like 60 people and there were probably 300 people in that train. It was during the monsoon rainy season and it was very hot. In the middle of the rice paddy, there was a flood, and we just sat there for about eight hours; we could not get out. There was no wind and they had turned off the fans. It was very difficult; I was tired.

I was being crushed and somehow I found a place under a seat on a filthy, dirty floor. People were eating peanuts above me, and blowing the shells and the skins on my face. I was getting kicked in the head, by all people in the front and back of me. But I had that little space. It was a space where I could actually lay down; after about 40 hours, I could finally lay down, and I was so happy. I was so grateful.

I tell you honestly that there is no person in the penthouse of the Tajmahal Hotel, who is more happy with their accommodations than I was! Why? Because it is the matter of perception. They are taking it for granted. They pay their money, they go to sleep, and probably complain, “Oh the air conditioner is not the right temperature.” But because of the desperate situation, it was heaven for me. Hell became heaven! It is just the matter of positive attitude.