Help from unknown faces!

Anecdote 1

December 2007 – It was a journey in India from Chandigarh to Bengaluru for attending Millipore training program. The plan was to travel from Chandigarh to Delhi by road and from Delhi to Bengaluru by air. I and my colleague started the trip from Chandigarh to Delhi by road and we were running in a close time difference. During refreshment on the way of the trip, the cab driver identified that the car had problem with the engine and it could delay the journey. We were really worried that whether we will be able to catch the flight from Delhi to Bengaluru on time to attend the next day training program in Bengaluru. We were discussing this part and we were in the mid-way of the highway, where there was no help.

One middle aged young man walked towards us and asked us “Can I help you? And can I drop both of you in the airport?” He had asked us seeing the situation, we were in. We were really surprised to hear from him and gleefully accepted his proposal. He took us in his car and during the journey he happily conveyed to his wife through phone that he was helping two south Indians. We were nicknamed as “Sambar” since Tamilians are generally addressed as “Sambar”. “Sambar” is a southern Indian dish consisting of lentils and vegetables cooked with tamarind and other spices. The story goes that the original recipe for sambar a dish which is so intrinsic to Tamil Nadu cuisine can actually be traced to Maratha ruler Shivaji’s son. Legend has it that Shivaji’s son Sambhaji, who was one of the Maratha rulers, attempted to make dal for himself when his head chef was away.

He dropped us very near to the airport.  We thanked him a lot and it was really a great help. We were able to catch the flight on time and reached Bengaluru that night. In the hurry, we forgot to get his contact number to be in touch. It was interesting and amazing to note that an unknown face has helped us that day. It was an unexpected help but it was so sweet that even today I remember it vividly. It may be a small anecdote but it reminds that there are unknown people without any mask who help without any expectations. We encounter many incidents like this in our life. The world is filled with beautiful people like this, who are willing to help the unknown. We pray to God seeking help, and may be God appears in the form of unknown and help us.

Anecdote 2

May 2018, Sunday– It was a one-day trip to Nandi Hills in Bengaluru from our home. We took our costly Canon camera to shoot pictures due to scenic beauty of the hill. We enjoyed the trip seeing the beauty of the hill and while returning took our lunch in a cottage type hut restaurant and reached back home in the evening with the memories of the day. We got into chat about the trip and wanted to see the pictures captured. Yes, the camera. We searched everywhere in the house and in the car. It was missing. We were tracing back the camera by the sequence of events and it got stopped at the cottage type hut restaurant. We missed the camera in the cottage type hut restaurant while having lunch. It was a costly camera that was lost. We were very sad to lose a costly camera.

Monday– I got a call from one of the employee working in another unit of our plant in Hosur city. He asked me, “Whether I had lost my camera?” I was totally surprised, when he asked this question. It was just a day interaction with him before. How come he knew that I had lost my camera in Nandi Hills? He told me, one guy in Facebook had posted the picture taken from the lost camera and posted as “Camera lost – finding the owner”. The picture was mine and so he could relate to me.

We got his number through FB and spoke to him. He told to come to a shopping mall near his place to hand over the camera. This time, I did not want the same incident to happen of not getting the contact details. I and my son purchased one bouquet of roses and a thank you card for him. We met him and before giving, he checked the photograph in the camera and me to ensure that Iam the right person getting the camera. He was a Bengali settled in Bengaluru and we took a picture. It was so nice of him to get the camera at a stage when we lost all hope! Every year, a New Year wish goes to him as nice gesture, I reciprocate.

Let us have trust that help can come from unexpected quarters and that too from a hopeless condition. Again, it shows a help from an unknown face.

Anecdote 3

November 2015– Boarded the train from Bengaluru to Chennai. It was an overnight journey. Reached central railway station-Chennai, early in the morning. Got an auto rickshaw to reach my sister’s place in Kodambakkam. If the rates are reasonable, I generally don’t bargain since I can understand the day-to-day sufferings of the down trodden for their life’s earning. I accepted his charges with a smile and got into the auto rickshaw. It was early morning and the sun had not risen, roads were free as the city was still sleeping. The driver dropped me at my sister’s residence. I paid the money and went into my sister’s house.  

For the sake of my profession in Microbiology field, had sacrificed wearing wrist watch, ornaments etc. I should not carry those to the most critical areas of my work to prevent microbial contamination. So, naturally had to check the time in my mobile. My mobile was missing. I dialed my mobile number, it was ringing and someone picked up the mobile phone. It was the auto rickshaw driver who had picked up the call. I had left my mobile mistakenly in the seat. He returned back and handed over the mobile without taking any charge. I thanked him and without any return, smiled and went away. He could have taken away the mobile since I do not have any trace / details of the transport. Still he took efforts to give back to me and that should be appreciated. Had I bargained at the beginning, he might have had second thoughts in returning the mobile phone, perhaps which is human tendency.

Offer a drop to a pregnant lady when her car tyre is punctured, donate blood-it would save many lives, donate eyes-it would help others to see the world, exchange your lower berth in a train for the aged, help someone whose is not having a job, educate an illiterate, help elderly crossing the busiest roads, donate old clothes / house hold items to the poor, donate winter clothes during the harsh winters, share food to the hungry and help the needy etc.

That remembers me, an interesting incident of when we as family toured Delhi in 2010 near India gate. As family, when we were visiting India gate to see the night view, one very fair about 2 years old girl held one of our family member’s leg in that busiest area. She was so cute and beautiful with Kajal applied under both her eye lids. Kajal is an eye care product to color the upper and lower waterline of eyelids and its use has been reported since ancient times. It adds a glint to one’s eyes and is also believed to be a cooling agent. 

She had missed her parents in the huge crowd. We understood that the very little cute girl held the leg seeking help. My wife lifted her and we wanted to hand over to her parents. It was a very huge crowd and how to search & give to her parents? My wife held the child in her arms and approached few policemen standing nearby. The policemen told to go to the nearest Police beat. My wife went in search of the Police beat for about 1 KM distance. Near to the Police beat, my wife noticed a young Muslim couple crying and they were visibly shaken a lot. My wife understood by seeing them and the father of the child ran towards the child and took her from the arms of my wife. Tears was rolling down from the eyes of the mother. Both the parents thanked us a lot in getting back their daughter, speaking in Hindi language. Hindi is one of the several languages in India spoken by Indians. The tears in their eyes conveyed us the thanks!

When we help, we are helped-Laws of Karma defines like that!

Note-The images given for representation in this blog are taken from Google / Unsplash Images. Many thanks for Google & Unsplash.