Long weekend came and went. Leaving behind lots of shopping bags to cherish, few extra calories to lose, and an incident that's forcing me to retrospect.
Prologue: After window shopping with my best friend for a whole day, it was time to leave for home. Just then I get a call from Home asking me to reach home early. Then in a hurry, I bade goodbye to my friend and hailed an auto. Thereby, began a small and interesting journey towards self evaluation.
The story: Most of the rickshaw drivers demand 1 and a half meter fare or 50Rs over the meter, but this unique chap asked for 10Rs extra. I was mildly surprised and agreed at once. Once in, hardly 30secs into the drive, he slowed down, and said, "Ma'am, please can you visit a shop?" Did I hear him right? He wants me to visit a shop. But why? "Please ma'am, you can spend just 5-10 mins in there, its a new shop, opened 2 days back".
My thoughts, rather my cynical psycho thoughts : What shop? Where is it? How can I trust this guy? What if he takes me to an isolated place? Be firm and say NO.
"Sorry Boss, I am getting late."
"Please ma'am, for every customer we bring, they give us a piece of cloth....Today is your festival (Ganesh Chaturthi), its our festival too (Id), I can take that piece of cloth home, please ma'am, you don't even have to pay me 10Rs extra."
My thoughts again: Don't be stupid, besides you are actually getting late, say NO.
"Nahi Bhaiya, I am really getting late."
"It wont take much time, and I will drive a bit fast and take shortcuts too if needed"
My thoughts (and I think I could hear alarm beeps too, this time) : Now, he is talking about taking unknown shortcuts and drive fast!! Say NO now!!!
"OK"
"Thank you Ma'am...Thank you"
My mind : Stupid!
He goes straight, then left then another left and halts in front of the new Deepam showroom.
"I will wait right here, ma'am" followed by a broad sincere grin.
As if to atone the non-existent damage that my cynical mind had done, I smiled and promised to myself to browse through the store with genuine interest. But 10 mins with genuine interest and I remembered Mom's request to return home early! And I left the store in a jiffy, wondering if the auto driver would actually be waiting or would have taken his reward and left for his heavenly abode. There outside the store, he stood waiting for me, his smile thanking me wordlessly.
I chided myself for being soo cynical. At times, its more important to gauge the person's words and read his/her eyes more than trying to find the hidden meaning.
It was after all a humble request............... which scared me.
6 comments:
Honestly speaking, it's one in a million that auto drivers are honest and with good intentions. If you wanted to do good, you could have rather paid him what was exactly in the meter and then tip him saying 100-200 bucks for Eid or Ganesh festival; but being alone and risk-taking in an Auto is not right or safe! I would say you were pain lucky! And if I were your Dad, I would have spanked you for that deed!
Dad was pretty annoyed too. :)
Coming to your suggestion, looks like I wanted to do something good without spending much. Stingy me :)
I don't think you are stingy, atleast not in the little time I know you! Your intentions were novel- to help the guy with something extra on an auspicious day. Come to think of it, you are actually open to spending money (unlike most women!), right from buying Jalebis to sandwiches. Probably nothing bad happened because your intentions were good and non-selfish! God is not always bad, you see!
Thanks Nandi :)
My lucky day today :)
hii
thats really an interesting incident :)
Hi AS,
Yes, it indeed was :)
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