| I had been spending some time in my home town and was about to return to my workplace. Arriving at the railway station I found my train was two hours late thanks to monsoon weather.
 I had arrived half an hour early, which meant I now had two and a half hours to wait in the bus station. I was more than a little worried about that! I took my luggage to a bench where only one other lady was sitting.
Even sitting at the opposite end of the bench I couldn’t help but notice how sad she looked. Her pretty face seemed very worried. Rather than sit in silence I asked her if she was waiting for the next train. She didn’t respond. I asked her again. She replied, "Uhuh. Yes." Then she wiped her eyes.
I moved closer and said, "Hey dear, what is wrong with you? Why are you weeping? " She responded that it was nothing and I should mind my own business. I realized something wrong had happened. I gave her a Smile card and moved back along the bench.
She looked at the card for a moment. Then she turned to me and said, "I’m sorry for being so rude. Would you mind if I talked to you like a sister for a little while?" I smiled and nodded.
She told she is from a family of four. Her father died last year and she has a elder brother and mother. She used to have a job but after her dad died she stopped working so she could help her mother.
She told that her mum and brother were trying to arrange a marriage for her and she was forced to stand, all dressed up, for each potential husband to inspect whether she liked him or not. She once asked if this was fair and her mother shouted that it didn’t matter what she felt, she would marry who her mother chose for her.
One of these suitors, a much older guy, asked her to go to bed with him. She told her mother and the unsympathetic response left this lovely young lady in tears.
By now I was really feeling sorry for her. Then she said she had planned to kill herself in the train station. I was shocked!
She sat with me for another half an hour while I tried to convince her life was worth living. I told her to e mail me her resume and I would try to get her good job. Then I gave her some money to help her get where she needed to go. I told her to forget her suicidal thoughts and to believe she could have a better life.
I gave her my phone number and asked her to ring me if I could help. She smiled and hugged me tightly and told me, "Thanks for your time and I promise I wont think any more suicidal thoughts. Hopefully I will get a good job and my wedding, when it comes, will be a happy affair I can invite you to!"
Please join me in praying that her dreams come true and her future is a bright and happy one.
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