Be kind to others, it will pay off...

Might be 65 or 70, she was carrying no bag and was wrapped in a ‘dhooti’. She already had asked for the metro token from two others standing ahead of me in the queue. I had no idea why they refused. But when she approached me, and said she needed a token for tilaknagar (where she lives), I found no reason to say NO. ‘She is not asking for money, she wants to go home and it’s getting late’, I thought. When it was my turn, I first asked for her token. I gave it to her and was about to turn back, when she put her hand over my head. “Bhagwaan kare tumhe kabhi kisi ki jarurat na pade. (May you never have to ask for help)” Her words and relief in voice almost brought tears in my eyes. I was so captivated in the moment that I forgot about the trailing queue. Then a voice disturbed my inner peace and ordered me to either to buy my ticket or move out of line.

Later inside metro, her words struck me. ‘May you never have to ask for help’. Was this a blessing or her pain? Is this even possible? I looked around. Everyone was dwelling in their phones, ear plugs on. These people are not friends to one another, they are not even acquainted. Still our lives are connected, aren't they? What if we all start living just for ourselves, on our own? Accidents are ignored. People eat in front of hungry children and don't care. No one gets troubled when you are crying? Horrible, isn’t it? Be kind to others, it will definitely pay off, trust me on this. It had happened with me.

I always give away my seat while travelling in metro. There is no record of any journey where I was on seat from source to destination. Yes, I do feel like that they need it more than me, but their was also a hidden greed. I used to believe that one day when I'll be travelling with my parents, someone in this Delhi crowd will stand up for them. And it happened. Yes it did. In august 2016, I was bringing them back from Akshardhaam, to Noida city center. It was crowded as hell, full of exhausted people. Whom should I ask, I quickly scanned the compartment and gasp with disappointment. Then the magic happens and 2 compassionate lad stood up and offered their seats to my parents. Just imagine the level of content I felt. May be someone had vacated seats for their family. Together we made this world a teeny tiny slightly better place. I won’t tell you what to do. Just think how your little help and compassion can change the world.