Today was supposed to be an usual day. Wake up late, eat, go to office, come back, eat and go to bed.
That was not to be. Woke up and got ready to leave for work. First stop, a restaurant for morning eat. I have been eating here quite regularly and been seeing this old couple having their breakfast and tea every time I visit here. Today was a bit of change in the scene. The old person was waiting for his tea to be served and the lady was waiting for his husband to join her on table with tea. As I could see the old man was carrying the clutch in one hand and was sure he would have to manage somehow to carry the two cups and balance himself. Hence I offered my help when the tea was ready. But the old man refused my help politely but gave up when I insisted I carry the cups while he takes his seat. Man looked pleased and was more than happy to tell about my gesture to his wife. He thanked me and I was more than happy to have got a pat on my back. Felt really really nice! Can't express how! I asked if I could join them on their table for breakfast as my Dosa was ready. The couple could not be more happy to offer me the seat next to the lady. We introduced our self to each other and to strike a conversation I asked if they stayed somewhere around. Got to know they stay close by and took a walk till the hotel and had breakfast and walked back home. I also got to know they are on their own these days as their kids work out of city and this hotel was no less than a blessing for them as they could get what they wanted, hot and nice! Perhaps this might be reason the couple seemed more joyous when I offered to help and joined them on the table. The old man was a retired engineer and lady was a retired school teacher. Soon they were done with the tea and asked my leave. They got up to leave and that was when the man went to the drinking water tap and got me glass of water. I was really surprised and felt bit embarrassed. He said you 'earned it gentleman' and shook my hand. The moment was immense and joy was something that can't be expressed! I was left staring at their back as they left! There could not have been a better way to start the day!
Finished with breakfast, hit the road on my vehicle. I have this habit of looking on the sides of road when I drive and could not help but spot this lady running restlessly in the same direction that I was driving. I went few meters ahead and stopped and looked back. She looked all tensed and was confused on which direction to walk (run?) towards. She looked like a daily wage worker on a construction site, aged in her late 50s, with a basket of lunch box in her one hand. As she came closer I asked if she was in some problem. She told me in Kannada she was waiting for a bus to come to reach her work place but was kept waiting for because of a traffic jam. I asked her if she would mind if I dropped her where she wanted to go and she was all smiles. I made sure she sat on my bike comfortably and drove slowly. She told me how worried she was as her employer kept calling her and she was helpless. She could not stop thanking me and told me it would have taken at least half an hour and long run to reach the site. As I drove that one KM stretch, she kept thanking me for I decided to drop her keeping aside my work. You could feel the innocence in that aged and perhaps uneducated god believing lady's voice! As I dropped her at her site she kept talking to herself and did not move an inch until I was out of her sight. Yes, I turned back to see what I wanted to see, a wide smile. That heavenly joy that I got after seeing her reach there on time is beyond my expressions! I wished I could do this daily. Time and again! Thanked god and reached office.
Evening 6.30. Was done for the day and left the office. Decided to take a longer route and not the usual short cut as it needs to drive a hundred meters in wrong side. I had just reached Satya Sai hospital in ITPL, compelled by habit, I saw an young man helping an old man with two crutches cross the road. I stopped by. I saw the young man taking the unfortunate old one to bus stop. I got down and went to the bus stop. A bus was waiting and the old man was talking to the conductor. And he decided not to board the bus even though there was enough seats available. I went ahead inquired with the old person if that bus was not going where he wanted. He said it was going but the fare is too much as it's a AC Volvo bus. It was obvious he could not afford it. So I asked if I could drop him if he was okay going on a two wheeler. He agreed instantly. I asked him to wait for me as I went to get my bike to the bus stop. I was worried if he would be safe and comfortable considering his physical condition and two crutches in his hands. He seemed okay and ready to go. As I spoke to him, I came to know he was from Kolkata and was getting treated in Satya Sai hospital after he met with an accident which left his thigh fractured and some injuries in hip bone. I felt bad for he might be going through a great pain. We reached the place and that was not on my way, neither was it any closer from the place we started. But I thought it would not be good idea to tell that. I was happy the man did not have to wait and walk any further. As I dropped him he kept asking me to have a cup of tea with him. I could not say no. We went to a bakery and had tea. We exchanged our numbers and he could not thank me enough. Poor man was so happy, he offered me a free train travel to anywhere in India as one escort was allowed with him. He took out the medical certificate to show me that. I thought I had earned my day's worth when this man with nothing had everything he had to offer me. Sheer emotions! I could not help but ask for a photo and he would never say no! We shook hands and thanked each other. I opened google maps to know where I was and to get my route to home. I left the place but not before gasping all the joy on this old face into my memory! One for you to see.
Three incidents in a day and I could not have asked for more! I have become habitual now to do these things for the joy they offer to me and also to the one on the other side. My job would not get me what these people have to offer me in return - their blessings! Blessings which will last all my life.
I have so many stories to tell but never share them as I thought people might take it in a wrong way. But I shared them this time just to convey one thing. That is, there are so many people around who need our attention. These people are far less privileged than us, They have so much things going in their life and they are hanging in there. Sometimes they need to know that they are not alone and ignored. These gestures might be very irrelevant for us but for them they might turn out to be a memory, a hope. Something that does not make them feel left alone. These things also give me an opportunity to talk to the people outside of my know and understand their life. That's when I come to know my sorrows and sufferings are nothing compared to what they are going through. And how gracefully they surviving. We crib about too many things too many times. Talking to these people we can feel how fortunate we are. I am not saying they are unhappy where they are. I am saying how they keep running the show despite not having what most of us have.
Hope this inspires some one some time some where to get out of their comfort zones to lend a helping hand to the some one in distress or in dire need. I read this somewhere which always inspires me. I would like to put it here:
"You need not do everything for everyone every time! That way you will end up doing nothing for no one. Do something for someone sometime!"
So start doing. A lot of people need you.
With that thank you for taking out the time to read this! Namaste!
