The power of Humanity

#power #humanity #relationship #stranger #love #communication #help #smile

How many of us have put our ears out for a stranger?? Well, at some point or the other, we all have. But not always we respond, because the essence of listening is lost between the lines of responding. And not to forget, Relationships need not be shared and built through verbal communication alone. Many a times you and I have come across strangers, exchanged a glance or a smile. It is these little things that gives us big happiness.

Imagine smiling at a stranger on your way to work or college in the morning, but to your shock they don’t greet you with a smile. Such situations really bothered me till a while ago, but we do not know the thoughts and chaos running in their mind as we have not stepped into their shoes.

There must have been situations where we have left an impact on other people’s mind. Let me share one here-

It was on my way back home with my parents after giving an exam that I realised how my little actions could speak a thousand words. We were at the railway station waiting for our train to arrive. It was the summer of April and like any other typical Indian railway platform, there were passengers chattering, kids playing around, the railway staff sweeping the platform floor with the train announcement in the background. Few were sitting on the seats, few on their luggage, and few on the floors and everyone were busy and involved in their business. I and my parents were on our seats chit chatting about the weather. The breeze that swam across our face brought the pricking engine smell along with it. I was already irritated and could feel a tiny drop of sweat rolling down my stomach.

People and children asking for money at the stations and trains are a very common scene in the Indian railways. I am not a fan of encouraging it either. I was scrolling through my IG feed when I heard the clattering of coins behind me. I knew it was someone sponging on the passengers. So when he approached me, I glued my face to my mobile screen to show off that I ain’t paying attention. That’s something we all do to ignore conversations and situations that doesn’t interest us, isn’t? On realising that he would be wasting his time near me, he moved on to the next passenger and I gave a sigh of relief. Very casually when I looked around me, I saw other passengers making disgusted faces after having looked at the same man. That’s when I noticed him.

I couldn’t tell his age, nobody could. He had torn clothes on. A black shirt that had turned brown with all the dirt and a pair of loose pants on a malnutritioned body. I couldn’t differentiate his beard from his hair, it looked the same with parallel length. But I was taken aback when I saw his face. He had nothing sort of a discriminated nose, eyes or lips, it was all disfigured and disrupted. Whoever saw his face, turned theirs and hide their kids eyes as if his sight would bring them evil. He seemed to be ashamed of his own appearance yet was helpless and moved towards the next passenger in hope but not a single person at the station gave a single penny.

I was conscience-stricken with my own action. Every Indian mother would keep a handful of coins inside the small zipped pocket and so did my mom. The very next moment I literally snatched my mom’s handbag, grabbed how many ever coins I could in a hustle and got up from my seat. I would lie if I said that I wasn’t scared to go near him. But I somehow gathered all the courage and moved my feet towards him.

As I was moving closer to him, I could feel the disappointment in his walk. So many people but not a single one to help him. There were thousands of thoughts running in my mind, He definitely must have cursed his presence on earth. He must have questioned the meaning of his own life. Maybe he didn’t look the same initially, he must have met with some accident. Or he must he gone through something unimaginable, I didn’t know and I still don’t know.

And finally I got near the man and stood infront of him. He stood there motionless staring at me. I could feel thousand eyes on me. I didn’t know what I was doing, but What I knew was it had to be done at that very moment. For a second, time stopped. There was silence all around me. I looked into eyes, scared but managed to smile. He still stood there, shocked. He had a small tin in his hand in which he collected the money the good ones gave him. One at a time, one by one, I put the coins through the thin opening on the tin. I could hear the coins falling inside, meeting other coins and greeting them. It felt as if the they belonged there.
After having done my duty, I looked at him not knowing how he’d react and trust me when I say this- I saw the most beautiful curve on a human face that day. No other smile could match the smile he gave me and I was no longer scared of him. I smiled at him and moved towards my seat. On my way, I saw people getting up from theirs and moving towards the man to do their bit. I couldn’t have been happier and proud of myself. I had a sense of big achievement within me. I had a relief that atleast one day, the man could get to fill his stomach and a good sleep.
That’s when I realised how much our little actions matter to others. How our little actions could bring happiness to others. The relationship that I share with him has no name, but he surely did teach me a lesson, a lesson to help the ones in need. I will forever have him in my thoughts and prayers.

A smile, especially from a stranger could do wonders to our human mind. It could give us immense happiness and a sense of relief. We often look past the little things, but it’s these little things that makes our everyday jovial.

Life is full of surprises, so don’t forget to smile.