He made my day!

It was just another weekend, but different and happy because it gave me some leisure time to go to Delhi and visit one of my dearest friends. It was a break from the hectic routine.  But the happiness demanded its price. I had to finish my assignments quite early, remain awake for a longer time in the previous night, fight with fever, miss my lunch today, and rush to catch a bus immediately after the class. Then, a journey of an hour and a half by bus. Needless to mention, the awful pleasure of Rohtak’s summer heat and dreadfully comfortable Haryana government bus added flavor to the agony of my travel. The journey then continued by Metro for another half an hour. Thanks to Delhi Metro rail. It gave some cool air and space to breathe.  Finally I reached Kirti Nagar station. My friend was waiting for me in the station with a big gift of smile. As soon as I got down, I started complaining to her about my hectic schedule, tiresome travel, hunger and frustration. We decided that we will first have lunch and then start to Dwarka to meet our recently married friend according to our plan. After a search of ten minutes through friendly sources n Delhi, we found a mall  named “moments” near the metro station, somehow managed to communicate the same destination to an auto driver with the bits and pieces of Hindi we knew. In another five minutes we were in moments but actually were not in a very good mood to enjoy the “moment”. We checked out two three shops in the food court and sat down on a table with a plate of chicken biriyani from Kareem’s, a chocolate truffle cake and a cheese cake from a big pastry shop. We were happy with the pastries but not so satisfied with the biriyani. Still we convinced ourselves and ate it as we thought it was the best option among the available ones. The heaviness of pastries compelled us to go for a short walk in the mall before starting our Dwarka journey. It also helped us buy some stuff for our friend. Both of us had to make many tough decisions while buying those stuff. We were blaming our wallets and debit cards for not being healthy enough.

Our journey to Dwarka started by metro again. It was an one hour journey, enjoying music with ipod, but standing throughout. We were tired when we reached Dwarka around 5 p.m. Our friend told us to take an auto or rickshaw from the metro station and reach sector 6. We could not find any auto nearby. So we went to the nearby rickshaw stand where some six rickshaws were parked. I have always avoided taking hand pulled rickshaws in my entire life. My feeling may sound foolish, stupid, or whatever you think it is. It was the feeling of guilt, grief in making an equal human being put his physical labor for my mobility. The same reason backed up my restrictions towards cycle rickshaws as well, but to a lesser extent. God only knows how I decide upon these virtual extents. But these restrictions towards cycle rickshaws had been relaxed a couple of times in unavoidable circumstances. Once again, now came a time for a similar relaxation. We had to take a cycle rickshaw as it was the only available option. As usual we had some more additional excuses like being new to the place, tiredness, etc. When we neared the rickshaw stand, the first rickshaw driver approached us and took him in our rickshaw. Rickshaw driver! – he can be described better I guess. A thin, weak old man nearing his late sixties, wearing a dirty, ragged pyjama, a towel covering his head, with a sad face seen very common in our Indian streets, with visible deep roots of worries, struggles, poverty perfectly portrayed on his face.  

Our chariot started moving, operating not with any ultra modern engines or rocket science, but with the greatest human science involving difficult and determined pushing of the cycle pedals with two fragile legs. Once the rickshaw started moving I told my friend about my feelings and reservations in using rickshaws. The reply she gave me really made me counter my year long beliefs. The reply was that if every one of us think the same way and avoid taking rickshaws, what these drivers would do for their living. I agreed with her argument. The rational thought in mind could not still win over the sorrow feeling in heart. Luckily all these discussions did neither divert the attention of the old man nor make him feel bad about the discussion. Happy that we were non-Hindi speakers.

The rickshaw journey which should have actually took 5 to 7 minutes extended to around 20 minutes. The journey was long, not because of traffic, not because of any road repair work, not because of any road diversion. The delay was because of an old man’s weak physique’s futile efforts to drive the vehicle fast, repair of cells due to aging, insufficient energy to accelerate the vehicle. Almost all the vehicles including cycle rickshaws overtook us. Even pedestrians overtook us. At one point in time, his pain and efforts were so intolerable that we thought of getting down or even making him rest and we driving the vehicle. The latter thought may sound funny even. But that situation would have urged any human to do something to relieve his pain.

Even before I came out of these thoughts, we have already reached sector 6. We got down from the rickshaw and I took out my wallet to pay him. There were few ten rupee notes and a hundred rupee note. Collected all the ten rupee notes and counted. It was forty rupees in total. When I gave the money to him, the oldman said he charges thirty rupees only. I told him “teek hein uncle. Aap le lo”. The smile that spread on his face while getting it, it was priceless. Do not have any words to explain. Then he left the place and he also moved on. But the thoughts about him stayed on in the mind.

We spent around 2 hours with our friend and then returned to Mayur Vihar, where my friend lives.

It was around 12 o clock in the night when I was trying hard to sleep, but could not. My rickshaw journey, that thin oldman, that godly smile, all these were lingering in my thoughts still. Started comparing myself with him. Just some ten extra bucks made him the symbol of happiness, satisfaction, content, cheerfulness. But myself!? I had been unhappy for untasty food, discomfort in transportation, tiresome routine work. In short I have been dissatisfied with anything and everything I had and did that day. I have always kept complaining about the drawbacks but never felt happy for what I have got. That old man made me realize that being content and happy is not from what we missed but from what we have got. Felt very glad for meeting him. Though I had many reasons and persons to attribute to my happiness that day, the old man was the main reason, motivation behind that. Yes, he made my day.