Below is a story my friend narrated to me over a few WhatsApp messages. As I reached the end of the story, an appalling realization dawned upon me.
I am sharing the story, in my words, with a similar hope for you:
Owing to a holiday in the United States, my friend had left his Chennai office early one evening. As he had exited his IT park, he had come across a stunted man selling pens. "Sir! Madam! 2 Pens for 10 rupees!" - the man had continued shouting at the top of his voice to a crowd that had cared more about the life inside mobile phones. My friend had passed the pen-seller, feeling bad for the attention he could not get. After some distance, my friend had come across a handicapped man asking for alms. The crowd that had sleep-walked while passing the pen-seller had woken up when it had reached the beggar. Many members had dropped 1 rupee, 2 rupee and 5 rupee coins in the cloth that lay spread before the beggar. Noticing this, my friend had experienced a mix of joy and sadness. Joy that compassion had won over consumerism. Sadness that a man selling pens had lost to a man selling pity.
A month later, my friend had chanced upon the pen-seller again. Overcome by a feeling of justice, he had walked to the pen-seller and had handed him the entire cash that had rested in his wallet - 120 rupees. The pen-seller had looked at my friend with a grateful smile and then, he had handed him 24 pens. My friend had received them and had walked home with a mix of joy and sadness. Joy that he had tilted the natural balance towards a hardworking man. Sadness that he too had always preferred pity over a purchase.
I am sharing the story, in my words, with a similar hope for you:
Owing to a holiday in the United States, my friend had left his Chennai office early one evening. As he had exited his IT park, he had come across a stunted man selling pens. "Sir! Madam! 2 Pens for 10 rupees!" - the man had continued shouting at the top of his voice to a crowd that had cared more about the life inside mobile phones. My friend had passed the pen-seller, feeling bad for the attention he could not get. After some distance, my friend had come across a handicapped man asking for alms. The crowd that had sleep-walked while passing the pen-seller had woken up when it had reached the beggar. Many members had dropped 1 rupee, 2 rupee and 5 rupee coins in the cloth that lay spread before the beggar. Noticing this, my friend had experienced a mix of joy and sadness. Joy that compassion had won over consumerism. Sadness that a man selling pens had lost to a man selling pity.
A month later, my friend had chanced upon the pen-seller again. Overcome by a feeling of justice, he had walked to the pen-seller and had handed him the entire cash that had rested in his wallet - 120 rupees. The pen-seller had looked at my friend with a grateful smile and then, he had handed him 24 pens. My friend had received them and had walked home with a mix of joy and sadness. Joy that he had tilted the natural balance towards a hardworking man. Sadness that he too had always preferred pity over a purchase.
