“Beautiful things don’t ask for attention”
– Sean O’Connell, “The secret life of Walter Mitty”
My world, as I see it day in and day out now, screams for credit. Before a job gets done, a cost benefit analysis is a mandate now.
But in the midst of the cacophony of this wholesale marketplace, humanity – beautiful, demure humanity sometimes flashes through my life like a sudden breeze of fresh wind in a sultry summer evening. Today I will recount one of them.
From time to time, the bohemian within throws me out of my cozy corner of comforts and I need to get out to see life. That time, I went to Varanasi – an old, holy city near my workplace. It was a flu season and I was suffering from a persistent cold. But even with that, I got mesmerized by the flow of life – from birth to death in that city. I was tired that day after walking non-stop for 4 hours and hence, decided to have some hot jalebi to quench my hunger for a while.
Soon a streetside vendor was in sight. He was selling a big tray of hot jalebi, By that time I was near, his tray was almost empty. I need small portions though and it was still left there. I asked for it. He gave me a fleeting look and asked me to wait. I was a little surprised. But soon a new set of very hot Jalebi came from his “kitchen” and he packed my portion from there. Whie giving, first time he looked completely at me and said: “I see you got cold. That is why I wanted to give you this very hot and fresh batch. Now have them and take water after five minutes. You will be comforted.” Then he focussed on selling the jalebis to other customers.
He doesn’t know me. I didn’t buy even a large portion. He knew very well I must be one of the innumerable tourists who frequent that city every day. Then why this generosity? Why this affection? Why this selflessness?
Yes, I get battered with selfishness of people everyday. But this one act of humanity is enough for me to remember and gets healed at the end of the day. It will never be an attractive incident to most people. But hey, it was as beautiful as it gets when it comes to my life. I feel grateful for that.
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