Kindness Personified

    'Kindness' this word has many parameters and too many dimensions to it, but all meaning one thing that this is one attribute that has divinity in it. People who have compassion and kindness towards all living beings may sometimes be looked at as meek and timid persons, but it is the other way round where it needs a lot of resilience and strength to carry these feelings and put them to use in our day to day lives. This is a story about how kindness and compassion played a very prominent role in the lives of all the people who came together in the cycle of their life and made a positive impact on the lives of others too.

Let's read about.            

"I cannot do all the good that the world needs but the world definitely needs the good I do".        

This quote speaks a lot about what kindness does to our lives.        I would even like to talk about Orphans and their lives in this cruel world but among few noble souls.     Orphans do struggle in this cruel world for no mistake of theirs. It is a tough life they lead without the much-needed family and their support. But we do hear stories about orphans who have fought a lone and tough battle against all odds and how they emerged winners as well being a huge support to other needy people in whatever way possible.               

Sudhir, Suraj and Dhiraj were young, educated and disciplined. They were orphans and were brought up by a philanthropist who was a well-known social worker too. He supported them in whatever way they wanted and gave them good education and made them strong physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually too. These boys or young men were taught ethics and values. They turned out to be young men with high values. Now they were grown up and were ready to do jobs to earn and become independent. They decided to move from the village they were living to a nearby town where they would look for suitable jobs and start earning. With the blessings and permission from their patron (philanthropist) they set out on foot to the nearby town. While they were walking, they stopped near a stall where tender coconuts were being sold. Since they were feeling thirsty, they brought coconuts and were drinking the water when they saw an old lady sitting in the scorching sun with a pale and sad looking face. Being kind, these youngsters approached the old lady and asked her if she needed some help. They even offered her to get the coconut water which she refused and started to narrate her story. She told them that she was sent away by her sons who felt she was a load in their lives. They did not want her any longer in their lives as she was old and weak. (A common story we mostly hear which is unfortunate).     Her story moved the hearts of the three young men, and they offered to support the old lady saying she could go along them to the nearby town where they would look for a suitable job. They consoled her saying that they would consider her their mother since they were orphans and new the importance of parents and their affection. The old lady was so much moved by these words that she was sobbing continuously for sometime. The youngsters consoled her and took her along with them and they started to walk again. The old woman had only one suitcase with her which was carried by Suraj. It was quite heavy, but he could carry it comfortably as he was robust among all three of them. After a long trek with stoppages in between they finally reached the town named 'la pata ganj' a lively place that was bustling with activities and with lots and lots of people who seemed friendly at the outset. As they were looking here and there to find someone who can help them find a place to stay, they were approached by a middle-aged man who introduced himself as kachua chacha. The name seemed funny and so as the man too. His way of talking was so funny that these boys had tough time controlling their laughter. It was a new place and what if the person got irritated?  Kachua chacha took them around and reached a small shanty and knocked the door. A tall man opened the door and asked what the matter was. Kachua chacha introduced the man as Sutti lal and asked him to give place for these men and the old lady in the shanty that was beside his house. Sutti lal was kind enough to agree and readily gave the keys of the dwelling that was unoccupied. Even though it was a small place it was clean and neat. The rent too was meagre and Sutti lal even promised that he would not pester them to pay it till they found suitable jobs. All of them were happy and they settled down for a good night's sleep. They were offered food as Sutti lal had a small eatery stall he used to earn money.                 

Early in the morning the next day these people were served tea and breakfast by Suttilal and his wife misri .(What a funny name isn't it?.). The young men finished their breakfast and set out looking for some work and soon they got menial jobs in a mill that made sugar,a garment factory(small.one) and a school for all the three of them respectively. The young men were happy and relieved. They distributed sweets to the old lady,kachua chacha ,sutti lal,misri and rest of the villagers whom they came across. This continued for sometime and the old lady too was happy as the young men took utmost care of her. She felt it was a blessing to have found them in the time of her need. The young men never asked what she had in her suitcase that she had brought along She used to keep it near her most of the time. She used to express a wish that she wanted to see a school built for orphans and children who cannot afford to pay fees to study. The young men used to assure her that they would make every effort to fulfil her wish. They knew it was only a shallow promise they were making to the old man with the intent to keep her happy.      

After about six months one morning when the young men got up and came out of their room, they did not find the old lady. Inspite of calling out her name she did not respond. The young men felt uneasy and started looking for her around. When they came back disheartened, they saw her suitcase in a corner of the Room with a paper stuck to the cover of the suitcase. Hurriedly they picked up the paper which was a letter the old lady had written to the young men.      On reading the letter and its contents the young men had tears in their eyes. The old lady had written that she was rich and had a lot of money that she had carried in the suitcase that was with them She then cleared the fact that she was not sent away by her sons and infact she had daughters only who were married and could not take care of her due to their own social obligations. She found these young men who were so kind from the beginning and so came along with them. She wanted them to utilize all the wealth that she had which was there in the suitcase to build a School and provide education to the underprivileged students who had the will to study but who could not afford to pay the bill (fees).          

No guesses for what the young men did. They built a school with the money the old lady had left with them. The old woman went away to an old age home with a relief that the money she had with her would be used for a genuine and noble cause by the genuine and kind young men.