I boarded the bus at office gate and took the corner seat comfortably. Few vacant seats got quickly filled up as every one wanted a seat for a comfortable journey to back home, like me. The bus headed towards destination after few minutes halt. I quickly scanned every face. They were all educated, highly educated successful personalities sitting politely.(They were from same IT park were I worked) I felt proud to be one among them.
Bus halted at the next stop. Conductor started chanting all the halt names that would follow ahead. People rampantly flooded in with hope to get a seat but in vain. All seats were already occupied by employees of IT park at previous stop. But never mind, passengers are used to it and so was I. Once again I craned my neck to check all the new faces. There were four or five beautiful girls who appeared to be from royal families, some arrogant youths(as appeared to me from their face) and few experienced mid aged scholars. Midst all, there stood a very old man who neatly qualified for the title of senior citizenship.
I thought, why is he standing there? He can easily claim the senior citizen seat which is present in every bus.
I started looking for that seat and help him locate it. Perplexed I sat, on finding the word inscribed "Senor citizen"(as written on the bus) on top of the seat where he was standing. He found it himself but in vain. He stood silently moving his head up and down in attempt to let the youth sitting there notice those wrong spelled two words. Somehow he succeeded in his attempt but with zero result. Because the youth sitting there listening music, with head phone on, happened to be reluctant to leave the seat. Others sitting in his ambiance were no different.
I thought, where has all the education gone? He is a person well educated, well trained, well paid and working for an IT company, but with zero sense of respect towards elders. Might be not for the seats status code but for the sake of humanity, anyone could have offered that old soul a seat. But no one moved, be it one row to his right or to his left.
Now one may argue that the youth might have been tired by days work. Which was not the case at all? Might be true but still what our logic says. Who needed that seat more? Seventy years old (eligible for the seat) or in his mid-twenty youth.
My heart cried for what it was experiencing. After waiting for 5 minutes and feeling and watching non-humanity prevailing over humanity, I got up and gently called the old man and asked, "Dadaji(generally grand parents are refered so), which stop?". He took four to five steps towards me and came closer and replied "Dakshineshwar" which was the last stop of the bus. It was about 45 minutes journey pending.
"Take a seat " I said while vacating my seat for him.
"No No its ok" he hesitated in accepting the seat.
I requested him again to take the seat. He sat with a joyous smile on his face and thanked me appreciating my effort.
Few more appreciated my effort by their expression while other sat dumbstruck.
45 minutes later bus reached Dakshineshwar. I was about to get down when someone patted me from my back and a voice followed "Thank you son, your effort is an evidence that humanity and culture is alive even in the days of Kalyug. May God bless you."
I smiled and thanked him. And said, "It was my pleasure. And after all, social service is not a sin."
He smiled back.
by,
Rajneesh Shukla
Note : Story is an instance taken from my personal life experience.
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Bus halted at the next stop. Conductor started chanting all the halt names that would follow ahead. People rampantly flooded in with hope to get a seat but in vain. All seats were already occupied by employees of IT park at previous stop. But never mind, passengers are used to it and so was I. Once again I craned my neck to check all the new faces. There were four or five beautiful girls who appeared to be from royal families, some arrogant youths(as appeared to me from their face) and few experienced mid aged scholars. Midst all, there stood a very old man who neatly qualified for the title of senior citizenship.
I thought, why is he standing there? He can easily claim the senior citizen seat which is present in every bus.
I started looking for that seat and help him locate it. Perplexed I sat, on finding the word inscribed "Senor citizen"(as written on the bus) on top of the seat where he was standing. He found it himself but in vain. He stood silently moving his head up and down in attempt to let the youth sitting there notice those wrong spelled two words. Somehow he succeeded in his attempt but with zero result. Because the youth sitting there listening music, with head phone on, happened to be reluctant to leave the seat. Others sitting in his ambiance were no different.
I thought, where has all the education gone? He is a person well educated, well trained, well paid and working for an IT company, but with zero sense of respect towards elders. Might be not for the seats status code but for the sake of humanity, anyone could have offered that old soul a seat. But no one moved, be it one row to his right or to his left.
Now one may argue that the youth might have been tired by days work. Which was not the case at all? Might be true but still what our logic says. Who needed that seat more? Seventy years old (eligible for the seat) or in his mid-twenty youth.
My heart cried for what it was experiencing. After waiting for 5 minutes and feeling and watching non-humanity prevailing over humanity, I got up and gently called the old man and asked, "Dadaji(generally grand parents are refered so), which stop?". He took four to five steps towards me and came closer and replied "Dakshineshwar" which was the last stop of the bus. It was about 45 minutes journey pending.
"Take a seat " I said while vacating my seat for him.
"No No its ok" he hesitated in accepting the seat.
I requested him again to take the seat. He sat with a joyous smile on his face and thanked me appreciating my effort.
Few more appreciated my effort by their expression while other sat dumbstruck.
45 minutes later bus reached Dakshineshwar. I was about to get down when someone patted me from my back and a voice followed "Thank you son, your effort is an evidence that humanity and culture is alive even in the days of Kalyug. May God bless you."
I smiled and thanked him. And said, "It was my pleasure. And after all, social service is not a sin."
He smiled back.
by,
Rajneesh Shukla
Note : Story is an instance taken from my personal life experience.
You may also like to read:
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