"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.”
Soren Kierkegaard

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

Comments

Nilesh Reddy said…
Beautiful!! Nilesh Reddy
July 28, 2014 at 11:42 AM
Ravi Shedde said…
Very meaningful post
--- Ravi Shedde
July 28, 2014 at 12:50 PM
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