The Essence of Life

After a long hectic day I finally started wrapping up to leave for home and requested OLA to help me with a ride from Noida to Delhi. I kept trying, and each time the driver denied duty as the cabs were UP registered and no one wanted to go to Delhi at late hours.

Then after around 45 minutes, it showed me Haryana registered cab which made my hopes high. I called the driver (Raghav) on number provide by OLA to get confirmation on drop location. Raghav didn’t wait to hear my hello and requested

“Sir, please don’t cancel the ride, I’ll be there in 2 minutes.”

I replied “Dear, I have been trying hard to get a cab and happy to hear this statement from you. By the way it’s a Delhi drop, is it ok?”

He confirmed “Sure sir, just reaching...”

So he arrived and we started heading towards the destination.

Raghav: “Sir, I too have been waiting to get passenger for Delhi as I reside there, and it’s good to get one just in time.”

Mukesh: “Great, but the service provider must show the drop location and get cab’s confirmation before confirming the ride with customer, isn’t it? That would be a better scenario, anyways…”

Later we had few general talks related to traffic, cops etc. and then somehow he felt comfortable and started discussing his life…

Raghav: “Sir, I had an accident few months ago, my leg got fracture due to which I was bedridden.”

With pain in his voice, he continued

“I am a poor guy and have recently taken loan for the down payment of this cab to survive with my wife and 3 kids …. And with plaster on my leg …. I was not in condition to take care of my responsibilities, the relatives visited me just to accuse me of my carelessness, but I swear it wasn’t my fault … no one came forward to help  …”

“After a couple of days in bed and observing the distress in the family, I got up early one day, without telling anybody, and left to carry on my duty … even with the plaster on. I came back at night with some money to take care of daily chores. I continued this for one more day, but the pain defeated me.”

“We somehow managed, by taking loans, and after a couple of months the plaster got removed. But life has its own plans. Doctor told me that your knee ligaments are torn and we need to operate.”

I have been observing him being uneasy with the leg, and this last statement of his made me worried.   “Would I be able to reach home safe?” the thought kept striking…

Mukesh: “So did you go for operation? Are you able to take care of it?”

Raghav: “Sir, will save some money for it and then will approach doctor again”

In today’s world, filled with so many con stories which we keep of hearing, for a moment my conscious alerted me of some sort of trap. But I decided to take time and see whether he approach me for financial help.

Then later I tried to crack few jokes while discussing general things like news headlines to release the tension. It surely brought smile to his face and he too participated actively.

After the journey of an hour and a half, we finally reached.

Raghav: “Sir, you are a nice person. It’s been nice talking to you”

I thought, he might ask for the help now. But that didn’t happen.

Mukesh: “Raghav, you are great guy. The way you are handling your situation has motivated me too to be strong when things doesn’t turn up the way we want. I wish you all the best and May all your worries disappear soon. Be strong the way you are.”  

I moved towards my home and he continued his journey back home. It was a 5 minutes walk to my home, and while this I kept thinking about what all we discussed and made up my mind for my next step.

I reached home, dropped my bag and called the OLA number which I used to get ride confirmation.

Mukesh: “Hi, mukesh here. Please provide your mobile number.”

Raghav: “Sir, why do you need it?”

Mukesh: “I’ll send you an sms, just respond with your bank account details to it”

Raghav: “Sir, Why do you need that?”

Mukesh: “Raghav, I’ll try to help you.”

Raghav: “Sir, even this statement of yours and the concern you shown is enough for me. You have made me forgot all my stress by talking to me and saying this.”

Mukesh: “I insist, please share your mobile number.”

Raghav: “Ok sir, I’ll share. Will talk to you after reaching home.”

He shared the number and I sent an sms asking for account details and kept waiting for reply.

After an hour, I got a call back. There was a feel of relief in his voice.

Raghav: “Sir, you are a nice guy, this is because of people like you that this world is still breathing.”

Mukesh: “But you still haven’t shared your account details, please do that.”

Raghav: “Sir, I won’t, you have already done a lot for me. Don’t worry, things will improve with time.”

Mukesh: “At least save my number and contact me whenever you feel the need. I will be there to help.”

Raghav: “Sir, I won’t even save the number. It might give rise to greed in me, I don’t want that to happen. If you want to help, just keep talking once in a while. It’s been late, please have rest. May god bless you.”

And he disconnected.

By this time, I was full of emotions. I had decided to help him with Rs 20,000, to which he denied. 

What a guy!

I felt being nothing as compared to him.

I’ll keep waiting for his call, though on the other hand, I don’t want that to happen. For, if he calls, he would be compromising on his ethics, which I never wish to happen.

I retired to bed, praying god, to release him of all his worries and bless him with all the success in life…

** With all due respect to him, I have used a fake name here and also haven’t disclosed all other family problems which he shared with me in trust.