The station was filled with a noisy crowd. A very welcoming sight indeed! The platform soon filled with people getting down from a just arrived train. Porters had found their prey. They knotted their turbans around their heads and got ready, like a mantis sharpening its claws at the sight of its food. They tailed passengers who had a heavy luggage, hoping to get a big fee from them. The only unpleasant thing around was the heavy urine stench in that place. The dawn’s mood had caught every worker’s attention. The busy bees started off with their work as usual.
One such worker over there was Muthu, who ran a government overlooked petty shop on one of the platforms. Not many people had liked the grumpy look that he had on his tanned face, with a big moustache and beard, with a betel-stained mouth. Muthu was dusting the properties in his shop when he saw a man in a well pressed suit with a worried look in his face. The man started walking towards Muthu’s store, stopped near him and started questioning,
“Excuse me, sir, may I please know if the next train to stop by over here is the Konkan Express? And by what time does it reach here?”
Muthu thought for a while and then spat the betel nuts out of his mouth, and responded in his usual grumpy tone:
“Yes it is! And it reaches here in about fifteen minutes. Now stop bugging me, will you? Try buying something from my shop!”
Startled at first, the man thought of going somewhere else, but he continued in a worried tone;
“No thanks. Hey, listen, I came here in quite a hurry. Now I don’t have enough balance in my mobile. Will I be able to find a recharge shop in this platform?”
Muthu answered,
“You won’t be able to find one here. You will have to get out of here and find a shop outside, unless you are okay with paying me an extra five percentage of the money that you want to recharge your mobile with.”
The man thought for a while and then understood Muthu’s idea of robbing him. He said,
“Why should I pay you extra money?”
Just then, a boy came to the man and extended his arms, pleading for money. Muthu looked at the boy and then hung his head low.
“I am so sorry sir. I can understand how you feel right now: there is no difference between myself and this boy!” said Muthu.
The man replied,
“No, you are wrong, I do find a huge difference between the two of you”.
“Really sir? And what’s it?”
The man replied:
“It’s just that this boy here is helpless and so he beseeches me, whereas you on the other hand are taking advantage of my helpless situation. I will be doing the right thing by giving him some money without questioning him. But I would be doing a big mistake if I let you rob me! I can manage not calling anyone for a few hours of my journey, but I can’t bear to see this innocent kid being punished and starved while people like you enjoy undeserved profits! ”
It was needless to explain the tears that rolled down Muthu’s eyes. For the first time in his life, Muthu understood the pathetic situation of that little boy. His hands automatically reached out to his pockets and he gave the boy some rupee notes. He also donated a water bottle to that boy. The boy thanked him for his kindness, and so did God!
In a short while came the announcement that Konkan Express would be reaching the platform shortly. And as the train arrived, Muthu saw the man getting into one of the compartments with a satisfied look on his face.
