Do Good & Good Will Follow You!

Like any other kid, I too was fond of listening stories during my childhood but travel tales were my favourites. And this is why I have a strong, a very deep inclination towards travelling as it unfolds a whole new world of interesting travel stories. Travel comes with many great opportunities. With a chance to explore new places, to meet new people, to experience new cultures & values, to learn new languages & dialects and to enjoy local delicacies, travelling provides another exciting prospect to eavesdrop to the unsaid, unheard, unknown anecdotes of those who inspire deeply but being left overlooked by society. During my visit to Ekling Ji temple of Udaipur in December 2014, I met this old lady who runs a free drinking water counter just outside the temple's entrance gate for localiites, visitors and travelers from morning to night. I found her working alone there. After a little chat, a localiite sitting next to the lady disclosed few things about her.

This old lady is almost in her late 80s or 90s. Filling the water buckets to serving water to dish-washing, she does it all alone. Generally at free drinking water counters, we drop a few coins as a token of gratitude. But hers has no money involved in it. She never asks for even a single penny. She does it as she finds solace, happiness, contentment in serving thirsty people. "Do good and cast it into the river" is her mantra of life. She believes that she is here on earth for a special purpose and that purpose is to serve mankind without any thought of profit or loss, and old age, her physical ailments, any disease, or anything cannot stop her following her true calling. Whenever somebody asks something to her, all she does is a sweet smile as she can't speak and listen much due to her old age. She cannot even see and walk properly. Though she can rest but her sentiment to serve people doesn't let her do so. Her selfless act to serve people is her ultimate strength. Compelled to say that I was overwhelmed by her genuine goodness, her real emotions and her invincible spirit! The love she was putting into serving, into giving was commendable.

Although I have seen many people running these kinds of free drinking water counters but this one truly is different where an act of social service is totally selfless, where the joy of feeding thirsty people is much bigger than the pains of her own life and where there is still an utter belief in good "karmas". She has proved that age can never be a hurdle in doing something good, something positive, something out of your reach; age is an issue of mind over matter, if you don't mind, it doesn't matter.

Well, it's believed that feeding water to a thirsty person is not an extra-ordinary do; it becomes large enough to wipe out all the sins of a very sinful person. Go on, spread smiles, love all and never leave the next chance to do something good. As true happiness is giving it away. Always remember that famous quote of our great Mother Teresa- "If you can't feed a hundred people then feed just one." So do good & good will come to you for sure!

Splendid People in the Delhi Metro

For Delhiites, metro indeed is a comfortable and efficient mode of public transport but for commuters like me, who spend almost three hours to and fro from work, it’s the biggest travel one has done so far. No doubt, the transport offers you a convenient and fast ride cutting the traffic-choked city but nowadays it has become a fun-filled ride for people who maintain to adorn a beautiful smile on their face after a long tiring day at work.

Taking you for a voyage, to savor every bit of Delhi and NCR for that matter, metro turns out to be a jading ride for those who have to travel long. Devoting so much time to the metro and observing people around, I have managed to discover some of the categories these commuters fall into.

Me First - One can witness a glut of people who are so full of themselves, not only do they want to be the first one to enter the metro but the first ones to exit as well. Out of all the vacant space near the aisle, they choose best to stand right in front of the doors. These travelers, without paying any heed to the constant announcements made during the journey, almost manage to block people who want to board and de-board the train.

Corner Crackers - Even before the doors get opened for people to enter, their target is set. ‘That is where I am going to sit’ is what the first thing that comes to their mind, while peeping in from the window of the metro. Despite scuffling hard for a seat all they are able to fetch for themselves is a corner near the doors. Satiated with their share of possession to laze on, they at times succeed in taking a nap leaning there too.

Unaffected Ones - A few are those who are so busy banging their head listening to the ardent music on their gadgets that they miss-out on a heated argument between two of the commuters sitting right in front of them. Usually such people go un-noticed unless they themselves give others an opportunity to notice them. Sometimes it is the loud music which can be heard by the fellow passengers from their hands-free or people bellowing on their phones, loud enough to be heard in the adjacent compartments.

Staring Masters - Not only do guys but many women play chiefly in making the fellow commuters uncomfortable with a simple stare. These people are so perfect with the act that they make the person conscious and start flicking through themselves if everything is in place. Guys are often seen crossing the boundary set for them beyond the general coach and if that is not feasible their intense gaze is enough to make a couple or girls standing nearby feel uneasy.

Free-to-do anything - Almost every day you come across several of the kind who are the rulers of this public transport. Putting all the rules at stake, breaking queues and pushing the guards as and when the metro arrives is the trend these people follow. All that which has to be followed as per the rules is what these commuters tend not to follow. Whether it is about throwing garbage around, leaning on the doors or walking out of the queue, they violate them all.

Smell-so-good - An interesting category of people whom you across in metro are those who ditch their deodorants in summers and are superb in making the passengers uncomfortable with their bad body odor and sweaty clothes. Despite some of them belonging to a refined class of people, personal hygiene is what these people fail to maintain. These are people who you hate secretly and can’t do anything more than throwing at them strange and annoyed looks.

And lastly, very few are the Hopeful Travelers, generally like you and me who board and de-board metro twice or thrice to reach their desired destination wishing there was one direct metro to their home. With the hope that with the advancement in technology, Delhi metro serving people for over 11 years will run a metro line running directly to their place, offering them a more comfortable and smooth ride.

Well this is what I have seen and experienced while traveling in the metro. If you have anything to share, please do write your experience or comment. I would like to listen you all.