Balancing Act
In a single day, witnessing both happy and sad coincidental incidents totally took me off the chair. Both stirred my soul from within and both are worth mentioning.Now the question is,which one should I narrate first, a good one or a bad one?
"Okay so let me do a toss!"
I took out a coin , resting it on my thumb supported with the forefinger, I tossed. There it flung in the air and with a tinkering sound fell flat on the ground.
"Yay..Heads!" I heard myself calling out.
Gosh so dramatic! Reminded me of Jay and Veeru of Sholay and l laughed at myself. Well then, I start with the first part of my story....
Yesterday, I had to go to Kailash colony. Coming out of the by-lanes of Green Park I hit the colony’s main exit road, eyes continuously strained in search of an auto. Spotting one, I walked in hasty steps. Not finding the driver in his seat, I looked around. Standing a little apart stood a man reading a hindi book, ’Rahim’. Hesitantly I asked him if he was the driver of the auto.
‘Yes,’ came a prompt reply.
“Will you take me to Kailash Colony market?”
He nodded and I sat in the auto. As the auto moved ahead, out of curiosity, I got into conversation with him. I asked him if he was fond of reading.
“Very much madam” he replied.
How much have you studied?
"Matric pass."
It was as if I had touched his pulse point. With great zeal he narrated his story, that he had seen great poverty in his life. As a child, he studied in a village school. Right from his childhood was very much interested in studies. Once, his Principal gave him a project. He, with the help of his class fellows made charts, wrote shlokas, and mounted them on the school walls. He then recited a Sanskrit shloka of that time, and explained the meaning, ‘education alone can make the person stand out in the world’. The principal was so happy that he made him the monitor of the class.
As we were nearing our destination, he recited another shloka in Sanskrit, saying that it was the turning point of his life, and made it a focal point thereafter. He then explained the meaning of the shloka:
“Where there is laziness there is no knowledge.
Where there is knowledge there is no rest.”
He made it a motto, to read any good literature that he laid his hands on. His family was against it but he did not give up. That ways, he kept learning and enhancing knowledge all his life.
I relished every part of his story and wanted it to go on , but the auto came to a halt as the driver announced,"Madam this is Kailash Market."
Walking towards my friends office contemplated what all he said.My mind felt light and spirited.
It is rightly said, “Education maketh a man, not the riches.”
In my eyes, he was truly educated. His being an auto driver, his poverty, did not deter him from the richness of education that he self generated. He was worth every honour.
Now for the second side of the story! After say two hours I came out of the office walked towards the Kailash market and looked for an auto for my return journey. Spotting one, I asked him if could take me to my destination...Green Park.
He refused saying that he could not go. Now this was quite irritating—I mean the auto was there, that too vacant, yet not ready to go...how absurd.
When I insisted as to why he would not take me, he blurted out, “The world is full of cheats. I don’t know whom to believe madam. "
"Why..what happened?" I enquired
"A lady got down from my auto... told me to wait... that she will come in five minutes and give me the money." and rattled on, "For mere fifty rupees, I’ve been waiting for past one hour...Now its past lunch time...I lost almost all the earnings for today."
The man was little short of crying. The pain of being cheated was writ large on his face.
In that instant, a thought flashed. I sat in the auto saying, “Chalo, I will give you the money.”
The back home journey was in complete silence.Every minute reminded me of the earlier ride.
There was a sense of relief on the auto-driver's face when I paid his dues plus fifty rupees. That smile of gratitude and the teary sparkle of his eyes penetrated deep into me. I vividly recall his face even today.
I was amazed at myself, but I could not stop questioning myself.
Why did I pay somebody else’s dues?
Was this a pichle janam ka hisab-kitab?
What joy did the lady get by cheating a poor man?Or
Was this some kind of cheap thrill?
Even if it was a past life balancing act, that night I had the most satisfying and peaceful sound sleep.
Kiren Babal
5.11.2015
In a single day, witnessing both happy and sad coincidental incidents totally took me off the chair. Both stirred my soul from within and both are worth mentioning.Now the question is,which one should I narrate first, a good one or a bad one?
"Okay so let me do a toss!"
I took out a coin , resting it on my thumb supported with the forefinger, I tossed. There it flung in the air and with a tinkering sound fell flat on the ground.
"Yay..Heads!" I heard myself calling out.
Gosh so dramatic! Reminded me of Jay and Veeru of Sholay and l laughed at myself. Well then, I start with the first part of my story....
Yesterday, I had to go to Kailash colony. Coming out of the by-lanes of Green Park I hit the colony’s main exit road, eyes continuously strained in search of an auto. Spotting one, I walked in hasty steps. Not finding the driver in his seat, I looked around. Standing a little apart stood a man reading a hindi book, ’Rahim’. Hesitantly I asked him if he was the driver of the auto.
‘Yes,’ came a prompt reply.
“Will you take me to Kailash Colony market?”
He nodded and I sat in the auto. As the auto moved ahead, out of curiosity, I got into conversation with him. I asked him if he was fond of reading.
“Very much madam” he replied.
How much have you studied?
"Matric pass."
It was as if I had touched his pulse point. With great zeal he narrated his story, that he had seen great poverty in his life. As a child, he studied in a village school. Right from his childhood was very much interested in studies. Once, his Principal gave him a project. He, with the help of his class fellows made charts, wrote shlokas, and mounted them on the school walls. He then recited a Sanskrit shloka of that time, and explained the meaning, ‘education alone can make the person stand out in the world’. The principal was so happy that he made him the monitor of the class.
As we were nearing our destination, he recited another shloka in Sanskrit, saying that it was the turning point of his life, and made it a focal point thereafter. He then explained the meaning of the shloka:
“Where there is laziness there is no knowledge.
Where there is knowledge there is no rest.”
He made it a motto, to read any good literature that he laid his hands on. His family was against it but he did not give up. That ways, he kept learning and enhancing knowledge all his life.
I relished every part of his story and wanted it to go on , but the auto came to a halt as the driver announced,"Madam this is Kailash Market."
Walking towards my friends office contemplated what all he said.My mind felt light and spirited.
It is rightly said, “Education maketh a man, not the riches.”
In my eyes, he was truly educated. His being an auto driver, his poverty, did not deter him from the richness of education that he self generated. He was worth every honour.
Now for the second side of the story! After say two hours I came out of the office walked towards the Kailash market and looked for an auto for my return journey. Spotting one, I asked him if could take me to my destination...Green Park.
He refused saying that he could not go. Now this was quite irritating—I mean the auto was there, that too vacant, yet not ready to go...how absurd.
When I insisted as to why he would not take me, he blurted out, “The world is full of cheats. I don’t know whom to believe madam. "
"Why..what happened?" I enquired
"A lady got down from my auto... told me to wait... that she will come in five minutes and give me the money." and rattled on, "For mere fifty rupees, I’ve been waiting for past one hour...Now its past lunch time...I lost almost all the earnings for today."
The man was little short of crying. The pain of being cheated was writ large on his face.
In that instant, a thought flashed. I sat in the auto saying, “Chalo, I will give you the money.”
The back home journey was in complete silence.Every minute reminded me of the earlier ride.
There was a sense of relief on the auto-driver's face when I paid his dues plus fifty rupees. That smile of gratitude and the teary sparkle of his eyes penetrated deep into me. I vividly recall his face even today.
I was amazed at myself, but I could not stop questioning myself.
Why did I pay somebody else’s dues?
Was this a pichle janam ka hisab-kitab?
What joy did the lady get by cheating a poor man?Or
Was this some kind of cheap thrill?
Even if it was a past life balancing act, that night I had the most satisfying and peaceful sound sleep.
Kiren Babal
5.11.2015
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