Interesting personalities I have encountered: Part-3

…He got down after two stops from the station he boarded, and got in the next compartment. I tried to keep looking at him until he went out of sight, but my view was blocked by a woman in her late 40s getting inside the train with a big baggage. As a decent citizen, I inquisitively looked into the bag. She caught me seeing it and walked slowly near me…

…And then she took a pack of pen from the bag, and started selling it. “5 pens 10 Rs…5 pens 10 Rs…” When she came near me, I hesitantly shook my head and looked the other side, out of the window. She moved on concentrating on her business.  After she moved away a comfortable distance from me, I looked into her face. I saw a wave of tiredness, and the pride of honesty in her face.

                And I thought, ‘Wait! What’s there for her to feel proud about? She’s living the most undesirable life of all’. She’s selling pens in suburban trains, fighting for her survival. I ran the thoughts again in my mind,’ most undesirable life of all’, and questioned myself, “What decides the quality of a life?”

                Drowning in thoughts, trying to find out the answer for my question, I got back into reality by the fluttering sound of the newspaper, read by a person sitting next to me.  ‘Indian’ly I slowly peeped into the paper.  There was photo of some famous politician who was being taken to jail for running some big scam. After a few pages, there was news about a multi- millionaire, who went bankrupt due to his fraudulent activities in the past, and approaching the court next day.  I thought what these guys would be doing that night. Can they sleep peacefully? Would they have slept peacefully in the past?

By the time, this lady came back after finishing her rounds in the compartment.  Her face was still tiered, little down, but still it carried hope and pride. By now, I know she has all the reasons for being proud. An honest day labor and a good night sleep. While the politician and millionaire, who seem to live a quality life, will be spending sleepless night thinking about the next day, this lady will be spending her night, cooking and dining along with her children. She’s a better citizen than most of the citizens who cheats and fools around in decent clothes, who hides scams in their shirt sleeves and corruption in white collars.

She sat near the train door, for some rest until the next station comes. I went to her and bought two packets of pen. She saw me in little surprise. So did the people around me.  But they didn’t understand the fact that, this money will actually feed or educate a needy child.

As she went off the compartment in the next stop, I got back with my thoughts. I was ashamed how bad my understanding of people was. I thanked the lady, and the old man for making me understand that, honesty, courage and humbleness, are the qualities that make people really great. Greater than the greatest personalities I have studied in books and magazines.

We walk looking up at the heaven, believing it will rain gold, unaware of the fact that we are walking on mountains of gold.

With these thoughts reverberating in my mind, I heard a sound that created a stir in my stomach…

To be continued...