Coincidence

        This incident happened when I was in college.  My mother and I would often go to a nearby temple in the evenings.  It was hardly a ten-minute walk to that temple, from our house. 

        One day, as we were on our way, both of us sensed that a man on a bicycle was slowly riding along with us.  He was middle-aged and wore a kurta and pajama.  He was staring at us continuously, rather at my mother.  We felt very awkward.  We weren’t unduly scared though, as it was the busy main road. 

        Suddenly, that man stopped riding and got down.  Now, we were slightly nervous.  What he could possibly want from us, we wondered.

        He addressed my mother and said “I’m sorry but I couldn’t help staring at you.  You see, my sister looks just like you.”  Now, we were relieved. 

        But what he said next was unbelievable.  “Her name is Sharada.”  My mother’s name is also Sharada. 

        We had heard that seven people in the world resemble any person, but in this case, the name was also the same.

        I told him, “My mother’s name is also Sharada.”  Now he was dumb-struck by the uncanny coincidence. 

        Truly, fact is stranger than fiction.

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The copyright of this write-up is with Mrs. Priya Ramesh Swaminathan.