Lest We Forget

Few incidents happened lately which i would like to share...

A month ago, i was waiting for the bus at Andheri station at around 11 pm. A student standing at the bus stop opened his wallet and looked extremely worried. Worried that he had 3 rs less than the usual fare to reach home. He was asking people around for money but nobody would listen to him. This time of the night is really the time for creative beggars at the bus stop cribbing that they have no money. People thought he was one of them. With nobody willing to help the student, i gave him the money. He was so pleased that finally he could reach home by bus. He smiled at me and got into his daily bus.

A couple of days ago, i was standing at Amboli bus stop. I saw someone coming hurriedly towards me. He offered me a ten rupees note. 'What for?', I asked him. He recollected me that i had paid him money to reach his house a month ago. Something which I had forgotten about.

Similar incident happened a year ago. I was on my bike waiting for the Amboli Naka signal to go green. A person with a laptop in his hand asked me a lift to Laxmi Industrial Estate. His car had got a flat tyre and no rikshaw was seen empty for a while. He pleaded that he'll give me 50 bucks if i want and he had a very important presentation to deliver. I was already 20 minutes late for the lecture, but said chuck that, I'd help this guy. I took him to his office place, declined any money he offered and said that he should run through to the presentation place.

Sometime back I was waiting at the Amboli Naka for auto toward the college. A car stops by me. The window rolls over and the same person whom I gave the lift to Laxmi Industrial Estate asks me to get in. He drops me right upto my college entrance.

These two incidents really touched me. Not because i got help in return, don't care about that much. But because these people remembered the people who helped them. How often do we do that. Very often we want help, seek help, but how often would you remember people who helped you. Try this for example, when you want something from someone, you make him a hundred calls to get it done. But once you got the job done, no calls, nothing. It doesn't happen intentionally I agree. But it happens.

So many 10th, 12th students have come up to me for carrier guidance, how to score in CET, which books to refer for IIT. Which classes to join. But not a single person outta them has ever come back to me saying I got admission in this-this college. Nothing. I don't know what the hell they are doing currently, cracked up JEE, got into NIT's whatever. Just goes to show how crazy the phone rings when you've got questions you need answers for and how it ceases to ring when you actually get the answers.

I am not mad at these people. I am to an extend thankful to them. They taught me something. That is to never forget people who helped you. To call them not just when some work is to be done, but also when that work gets done. A small change, but it can make a hell lot of difference in my own small world. Last few days i've realized that i've really failed to acknowledge a lot of people for helping me out lately. They might have noticed that as they read through this. I am feeling really bad about it. It's the one thing i want to never stop doing. Remembering the ones who help.