"CAN'T YOU DO THIS ONE GOOD WORK?"
Pic.: Arvind Salunke
“The function of prayer is not to influence
God,
but rather to change the nature of the one
who prays.”
Here
is another encounter with another autowala.
Yesterday was Sunday. In the afternoon, I left home, in a
hurry, on some urgent and important work. It was pouring heavily and had turned
so dark, that at 2.30 in the afternoon, it looked like evening seven! Water had
logged all around and, I was worried if I would find an auto. Luckily, one
appeared just in time, and I got into it. About a couple of minutes later, I
suddenly realized that, in my hurry, I had left my cell-phone at home. I was
already late; but, as I was expecting some important calls, I gently requested
the auto-driver to take me back, so that I could fetch my phone.
“I can not take you back,” the rickshaw-wala reacted,
bluntly.
“Brother, I have left home on an important work; I need my
phone badly,” I was still explaining to him, with all my gentleness.
“Can’t you see how badly it is raining?” he questioned me,
rudely.
By now, my gentleness had dried out. “It is a Ramadan
day, brother; you are fasting. I am just requesting you... trying to explain to
you my problem,” I put it quite dramatically, “Can’t you do this one good
work?”
He was a young, sturdy, traditionally long-bearded man. Obviously,
I had used words which would leave him either speechless or angry...
“Good work? “he chose to be angry, “Sir, I do a lot of
it... Look at this...”
He was trying to show me something and reason out with me
as to why he was not a bad man!
“Brother, let’s be peaceful,” I calmed him down, “It will
take just a couple of minutes to go back and fetch my phone.”
Quietly, the young autowala drove towards my Society... Neither
he nor I uttered a single word...
I had reminded him that it was Ramadan, his fasting
day... and, he had reminded me that it was Sunday, my Sabbath day...
While paying him his fare, some twenty minutes later, I
said “Thank-you,” from my peaceful heart... and, he said “Sorry sir.”
I knew, it was from his peaceful heart, too...
Only
a day to go for the festival of Eid, here in Mumbai. I may not meet you
brother... So, ‘Eid Mubarak’ to you, in advance, May peace be with we all.
GERALD D’CUNHA
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--- Ravi Shedde