Feel the rainbow in your heart...

This may not be directly linked to TFI, but as it happened during the same journey, I want to share with you what I would call "The most content day of my life". Yesterday, I was riding back home after school at 1 o clock. The sun was comparatively harsh for a winter afternoon. An old dark man caught my eye when I was on the Sinhagad road flyover which goes towards Chandni Chowk. The man was wearing a soiled white kurta and pajama with a traditional Indian white cap. He was gasping and walking snail speed. I stopped to offer a lift. He said no thanks initially and said, the mere thought of me stopping by and offering a lift was more than enough for him. I insisted him a bit and after a little hesitation he got on the bike holding his small pink polythene bag. He said he wanted to go to Dehu road.
I did not know where Dehu road was. To my surprise one of the milestones on way said "Dehu road - 23 kms". I asked the old man whether he was going to walk all the way to Dehu road. He said yes. To add further to my surprise, he came walking from Katraj ghat (10 kms+ from where I offered him a lift). I was puzzled and asked him why he did not take some bus? He said he had only 50Rs. with him which he had to save as he was going to see a doctor for some treatment. I was taken aback and decided not to go home (Chandni Chowk) and drive further to Baner so that the man had to walk a little less towards his destination. He said drop me wherever you please.
On way it came to light that this old man was quite a wise person. He had flunked in 11th grade because of English. He expressed his irritation towards his school for promoting all kids even if they did not do well in English exams. He said he would have cleared 11th and studied further if his school had detained him for not doing well in English at the right time. He would have worked hard if he failed. He was working as a peon in an accounts department somewhere but now retired. He was going to Dehu road for a cataract surgery of his eye which was free under some policy post retirement. While riding, I was constantly thinking of how far Dehu road still was. I wished to drop this man all the way to where he wanted instead of Baner. But I was dreading that my bike would run out of fuel and there were no fuel stations around. We reached the Baner square where the man got down and touched my feet. In the bright sun, I could now see his blue colored cataract infected eyes filled with gratitude. I also noticed a thin bed sheet in his bag which he probably used to rest up on during his long walking journey. This old man, who was by now like my own grandpa, blessed me, wore his cap and started walking. I was in pain to see him walk again!
I started riding towards Nikhil's house in Baner; still thinking if I should find a fuel station, refill and go back to help the old man. When I reached Nikhil's house he was a bit surprised and asked me how come I was at Baner at that hour? When I told Nikhil about the whole story he wasted no time and took out the car to help the old man. We hit the highway again. The old man had not walked too far from where I had dropped him earlier. We found him at a roadside juice vendor drinking water. I told him "Aaba (grandpa), we have come to drop you to Dehu road". He was surprised, delighted, confused, thankful all at the same time. We all had pineapple juice and Aaba sat at the back seat of the car.
Nikhil asked Aaba where exactly was the hospital at Dehu road? And I was further surprised to know that he actually had to go to Mumbai and Dehu road was a destination from where he would get cheaper bus ticket to Mumbai. We were more shocked to know he started his journey on 2nd from Satara district (his home) to reach Mumbai on 10th for the operation. Yes! He walked in stretches everyday with only a cup or two of chai in the day. As he had not had lunch we took him to Hotel Tamanna at Hinjewadi. Nikhil and I were keen to know more about Aaba. We looked at each other with raised eyebrows when we heard that Aaba was 75 years old. We could notice and sense his age when his hands shivered as he held the glass of water. We spoke about his family and his work. Aaba observed the people and the hotel in amusement and told us this was the first time in his entire life when he had a meal at such a place. We exchanged our addresses and he said he would surely visit us when he came to Pune again.
After the lunch we went to Neeta Volvo office at Hinjewadi. We bought some biscuits and water and also gave him some money. In 15 minutes the bus arrived and we said goodbye to him. Aaba left...but he left Nikhil and me with countless thoughts. Here was a man who had the courage to walk from Satara to Mumbai...Here was a man who knew what saving 50Rs. meant...Here was a man who had dignity and was not asking for lifts or help and was hoping to reach safely to his destination on time...And here we were spending grands over useless things at times. I asked Nikhil if it was wrong to spend money on oneself. And I agreed to his reply "It is not wrong to spend money on oneself. But it is wrong to spend it on unnecessary things which could otherwise be used for a better cause."
Yesterday was a day when my mind was so so calm. It felt as if someone poured cold water on my head and wiped off all the unnecessary thoughts and worries. There are so many things in the world other than yourself to think about. Doing a bit for Aaba and making his day easier made me feel a rainbow in my heart! Some may find it funny and irrational to do such a thing...But only when you give whatever little you have, you experience what it means to be content. Don't even think you can change the world...Don't think how much difference your small bits can make...With no extra efforts just giving your little selflessly can make you feel the rainbow in your heart!!! :)