THE FACE OF AN UNKNOWN INDIAN

This is one such incident which happens very rarely in India. My country with its vast varieties of people , and with more people below the poverty mark, rarely we will see some acts of inspiration from the bottom, which make us think are we really up to the standard?. The virtues shown by people who are so called low class sometime excel the acts of charity of million dollars by people who are doing it for the pomp. I just experienced one soul drenching, illuminating moment as i am writing this, i just wanted to share immediately the excitement, the joy and happiness of meeting one such indian, who has illuminated my soul. may be the incident may sound silly to readers, but one who knows what India is all about truly knows the impact of this

incident. Today was just another day until i struck upon the event. Today there is petrol shortage in my city chennai, hence my lecturer called me and asked me to wait for him, as his vehicle was dry. Hence we both started to our college free medical camp which is organised at mudichur every tuesdays and fridays. as we entered, i went to my friends and we were kidding each other, and didnt do any work :) just whiling away the time, patients were coming and going.

By 10.45 we asked our sir for a tea break and started out, just had a nice walk and we were at tea shop, it was my friend kavitha who called me, she was there at camp. Wondered why she is calling? thought she would need some biscuits are coffee for her self, thinking so i reluctantly attended the call. She told me that you just come immediately , pavani has left her mobile in the bus itself . umm now i understood the problem pavani one of my classmates and a cool friend has expensive mobile at least worth of 10,000 bugs or more. She is actually pretty cautious unlike me (for info successfully so far mysteriously 3 mobiles of mine have disappeared!!) .I told the guys i am leaving there and told the problem, and started off. My lecturer was waiting, he told that she had left her mobile in 55m bus( that goes from tambaram to mannivakkam), and she just now told that she had left in the bus, and sir called her number. a man attended and informed that mobile was with him, and he is in mannivakkam right now, and asked to come and get the mobile as soon as possible. I was surprised , so even after taking a mobile with him that too expensive, he is replying us coolly!! i was not told clearly about neither his whereabouts nor about his details or identity, infact not even his name!!. hence me and pavani started our journey. we came to natesan school and he had told some school near and again we called him, his descriptions were a bit confusing indeed, we just roamed around that school in search of a barbershop and teashop which he told as identity. he told that he is in a house were some painting work is carried on, and pink colour was the paint. As the place looked doomed , a sudden streak of fear ran through my mind, was it safe with a girl by your side to go to an unknown locality to meet an unknown person? she also felt the same, what if this was a trick to trap pavani? (too much of detective novels and movies !!!) but any way we didnt want to take the risk, i called kannan and asked him to come to the place were we will be waiting. On the way i drove in to a ditch and she jumped from her seat and was in air for a few seconds , and fortunately no damage for any one. We again called him, and still was not able to understand the exact location. Kannan spoke with them and he partly understood the place, he asked us to wait and he will go and look around. we were waiting there , i told pavanai, that he may expect some thing(of course money), and decided 50 will do. later kannan called us and told that he has found the place and asked us to come. so we went and we found that the locales he was giving was exactly there. and down in a lane atlast we found the house were the painting was done. we stood there. i told kannan, how much should we give? i think they will expect something, he said wait we will give something after he asks for. why to give on our own? and kept my wallet back in to my pant pocket. 2 men came down the stairs, as shabbily as they could have ever been dressed, painters attire- the paint stained clothes, not more than 30 years of age. They came and asked pavani, "is this your cell?" she replied"ya" , they had her cell in the front pockets of the trouser of one of them, her cells shining green velvette pouch was in contrast to the shabby greasy attire of the man. he further spoke on " shouldnt you be more careful? we were waiting since morning for a call, we ourself thought of calling someone, hereafter better never be careless like this have it" he gave the pouch to her, i thanked him, so was she and kannan, we all thanked them and internally i was thinking so how much this fellow is expecting and when he will open the mouth, i dont have 50rs change just a hundred rupee note is there, alas there i had the second surprise they just left without further word, and were back in the duty, we also started and as i kicked my bike and started, we would have just travelled 10 feet, i felt a sting in my

heart, no you shouldnt do that his virtue , his nermai- honesty have to be rewarded, recognised, we indians always fail to recognise such acts! he will think next time before handling back the item to its owner, what benefit had i got? i stopped the vehicle, turned back my head to pavani with these thoughts in my mind, hell was she a mindreader!! she told "suneel shouldnt we give something? he has not even asked for" ya i told her yes we should, and turned my vehicle and came back. i saw them standing in the terrace, i just signalled him, just come down, i could see some panic in his face and as well as his fellow mates, they would have thought oh now these people are going to complain where is my 100 rs note i kept inside the pouch!! he came down

reluctantly from the stairs, i went to him, gave 100 rs to him, oh alas the third biggest surprise !! he refused to take it, i said "no you should take this its for your attitude, and i felt that i needed to hug him, yes i hugged him, the happiness i had was something that nourished my soul, he was just as reluctant as he was and just went about his work with a smile. Pavani was happy, kanna was smiling, and i relentlessly thank god for giving me a role , a witness to the great act of an unknown indian, i still dont know his name, but i will always remeber his face whenever some one utters the word "HONESTY". Life is not a complicated thing, these simple men and simple acts teaches us tons and tons of lessons, then any textbook could have ever taught us. Listen your heart, joy is inevitable. I thank god who made pavani to loose her cell, else i would never had this experience. India's soul lies not in its militairy power, not in its it companies, not even in cricketers or the entertainers, its just these bunch of simple people who make the country stand tall because of there illustrious attitudes.