Friends with-‘out’ Benefits

As you must have guessed, but I did not, at that time, I was greeted with a familiar face-- the same golgappe wala. Our reactions were nothing like old friends, wild and fancy. Both of us recognized each other, acknowledged it silently and respected the fact. The first words we exchanged were not of complains or queries, instead I handed over the drink. Bewildered by the gesture, he didn’t know what to say. After some insistence and resistance he finally gulped it down in a single go.

Now relieved, I asked him about this particularly not so lucrative business when he could make the world’s best North Indian food Delhi. An expression passed over his face. If it was despair, it did not last more than a millisecond. He said, “It is the only respectable job I could do without start-up money Sir”. Finding me confused, he went ahead with his story.

He used to own a small dhaba serving North Indian cuisine in Delhi. They had a happy and decent life. But then, his wife was diagnosed with cancer and he used up everything he had, still failing to save her. After that, he started again from scratch with two daughters left to be taken care of. The shed near my house was his second attempt at life, out of nothing.

I was shocked! He went through so much and I never found a freckle of despair on the man’s face. In fact delicious North Indian food Delhi wasn’t his only speciality. The simple grin was typical of him, and everybody felt attracted due to its utter sincerity. Honestly, I never met a man whose smile could be more convincing. His was so real that you would doubt your own happiness’s authenticity. And yet, he was struggling with his own inner turmoil. I mean look at us, if it’s a bad day at work, be it the pesky co-passenger in metro or the grocery store keeper; everyone has to face the brunt. Yet he was here, his story of misery only half told.

On the second chance, he had to sell up everything, to marry off the elder daughter. And with the younger one still left, he was trying to make whatever sense he could, out of life by selling magazines and dailies. Even amid all this, the unfailing smile never left his face.

I was dumbstruck by his simplicity and philosophy. Resolved to help him, I approached one of my friends, who holds a good position at a five star brand restaurant and referred him for a job. Honestly, this was not kindness and it did not mean anything to me. But, it was a life changer, for that man. And I learnt an incredible lesson out of nothing…

So, the next time when you face a difficulty, think of others who are bearing greater burdens.