It was Rakshabandhan. I guess it was 2013. The red light was stubborn and had a fight with the green one. Nevertheless, the fun of meeting my cousin sisters was capturing me while waiting in the cozy rikshaw in a traffic jam. We all were meeting after a year.
I saw a girl. She wore a mini skirt. I shivered at the tiniest glimpse. I felt a little sad and sensed my pocket to find that I was no better than her.
Life is like this only. I could do nothing for her. After 3 hours, I reached the spot and had a marvelous evening. After the Rakhi, we went to the terrace having chai, giving us the needed warmth where the winds were having a race to give flu to everyone. We enjoyed the momos, which mom gave for the eve.
Everyone wants to help these days. But charity is the work of big names, right? Unless and until you have a unique surname, you can’t donate, right?
Let’s take a loan. Don’t worry, you know the bank manager. No paperwork, no calls. You do not have to return the principal amount even. He won’t even ask anything. He looks like you. You meet him at the mirror!
This Covid is like permanent arms around your neck. The fading lockdown is heaven coming to your feet!
You know this is no exaggeration. What did you do after lockdown?
EAT ICE-CREAM
I went to have ice cream. The ice-cream parlor was nearby. When you are after chocolate ice cream day and night, the owner has your contact number on the speed dial. He told me that they had an exclusive new flavor. My tongue already imagined licking it. It was “Choco Bonanza with Dark Almonds”.
When you love someone, and she wears the most beautiful dress in the world, does your love doubles instantly? No, right?
It’s too bad to be called an analogy. I disappointed the owner and went away with the 15 rupees Choco Bar. You know, it tasted much better when I chose it against such a big option. I don’t know the science involved, but try it once, you will feel it too.
DON’T THROW OPEN YOUR PIGGY BANK
No one is asking you to throw down your childhood piggy bank. Don’t pick the money and take some underprivileged children to a party. If you want, you can.
But the point is… Start small. I had a box full of momos. One momo to that girl would have made no difference. Neither it would have dampened her sorrows, nor it would have made us cousins less happy!
It was about the smile. The girl would have been happy. You can say it would be momentary happiness.
Then, she would have gone back to that sad world where she had to fight for her survival. True, if you can’t give long-term happiness, will you stampede the small chances?
YOU DON’T NEED MONEY
I never gave anything to the blind child begging money at the metro station. When I used to see him, I had a thought, “Boy, I feel sorry for you. I will surely help you but first, let me earn “
One day. He disappeared. I felt like a killer before I got to know that he was transferred due to his poor performance. I was relieved. My thinking was morally right but it was an extreme thought.
After that, I started a campaign in my college. But it wasn’t targeted at the underprivileged children.
It was only for the new child sitting at the metro station. I had put a donation box. My daily collection was around 15 rupees. 15 rupees from the whole college!
GOOD IS BETTER THAN BEST
I wasn’t sad. I was able to arrange evening snacks for the metro boy from those 15 rupees. You can think of people from college who could spend 100’s daily in the canteen but cannot even spare 1 rupee when it comes to charity!
Stop thinking like this. Don’t hate people. Everyone has their own moment of catharsis. If I would have been this pessimistic and followed my logic of “one day I will help you”, I would never have arranged even one-time snacks for him.
Start small campaigns. You do your work because you want to create smiles in the world.
We all are running as if it is a race. We don’t realize that when we will win, there would be no one to applaud!
About the Author
Mudit Agarwal is a copywriter. Not here to impress, he wants to win the heart of a 5-year-old boy, who accidentally reads his work.
Through his stories, he wants to speak about the issues, which pierce us daily. But we all have a temporary bandage of a smile.
You can find his stories on Instagram.