1. Have an Interesting Snippet to Share : Click Here
    Dismiss Notice

They Live Among Us

Discussion in 'Snippets of Life (Non-Fiction)' started by HariLakhera, Jul 18, 2019.

  1. Afresh

    Afresh Gold IL'ite

    Messages:
    526
    Likes Received:
    901
    Trophy Points:
    188
    Gender:
    Female
    I think the vibrator alarm can also fail but this seems more like a foolproof plan! ;)
    Also, come to think of it, this could also be a social experiment being done to wean off people from their smartphones and engage in a gadget free social interaction for atleast a commuting part of the day! :)
     
  2. paru123

    paru123 Gold IL'ite

    Messages:
    419
    Likes Received:
    383
    Trophy Points:
    123
    Gender:
    Female
    Once while i was abroad i had gone for an interview to a company which was very far from my place. It was in a secluded area, which i had realised only after reaching there. The taxi driver who dropped me had warned me that the bus stop is very far from where the company is and if he should wait for my return trip. Since it was an interview i had no idea when i would be back, so i told him to leave.

    After the interview, the interviewer offered me a drop till the bus stop after their driver returned from a trip. But that driver was held up somewhere and didnt come. After waiting for some time i decided to walk to the stop. After walking for few minutes i realised i was lost. Bcos i could not see a human, a vehicle , a road in the vicinity. Still i walked. Saw a shop and asked them which way to go to the bus stop. The guy said keep walking. I saw a man aged 50 plus getting out from the shop and walking behind me. I was scared. I kept walking. After 5 minutes he overtook me and was kind of leading me. Again after 10 minutes i asked him, is the road still far away. He said no madam just few more minutes. Then i felt comfortable and asked him if he workes nearby and he said no he works in a different city, a driver, and had come to this city on duty, it was his break time, since i am alone he thought of coming along with me.

    Though i first fell scared about his walking behind me, i realized he was actually god send for me. I thanked him so much n even today when i think of that day and him I thank God.
     
    Thyagarajan and SunPa like this.
  3. HariLakhera

    HariLakhera Platinum IL'ite

    Messages:
    2,336
    Likes Received:
    2,700
    Trophy Points:
    283
    Gender:
    Male

    Great!!!
    Here is one more, Indian style. One man was being given send off at the Railway station by his friends. In the melee of garlanding, hand shaking and what not, people found one man hugely garlanded standing on the platform after the train had left. Upon enquiry he laughed and said ' @#@#came to see me off and left me on the platform.
    Case of mistaken identity::::
    Inside the train, friends realised the mistake and decided to get down at the next stop at some 3 hours away. One of them requested a man sitting next to him, to wake him up in case he fell asleep. He also added that he is a sound sleeper and if need be, he should push him down on the platform. The station passed and the man woke up and was furious and even abused him for not waking him up. People around asked this person why he was tolerating all this rubbish from him. He was not obliged to wake him up.
    This person humbly replied, I am tolerating because I am worried what the fellow will be facing and cursing him whom I pushed down on the platform.
    I have not intentionally mentioned the communal angle. These friends could be from any community.
     
    Thyagarajan likes this.
  4. HariLakhera

    HariLakhera Platinum IL'ite

    Messages:
    2,336
    Likes Received:
    2,700
    Trophy Points:
    283
    Gender:
    Male
    Wonderful. Calcuttans are very polite and supportive and very helpful to strangers. In some areas, houses are not numbered in a particular order.New to the city, I was to visit a friend but could not locate his house. Some young boys were sitting under a tree and and I asked them for help. One of them got up and said, uncle! follow me. In less than 5 minutes we were at the right place. I thanked him profusely.
     
    Thyagarajan likes this.
  5. SunPa

    SunPa Platinum IL'ite

    Messages:
    1,041
    Likes Received:
    2,413
    Trophy Points:
    283
    Gender:
    Female
    Lovely thread sir.
    I have had the fortune of meeting many such strangers.
    The number of people who have gone out of the way to accommodate my dad after he had his hip surgery touches me
    Let me share one that happened recently that moved me to tears.

    I had to a work trip to Frankfurt that day. I had just check in online from office, when mom called. Dad mouth went crooked and his speech was slurring she said. Oh classic stroke symptom. I rushed from work and in the cab I called emergency. When I reached home he had seemed recovered . The ambulance wheeled him in to emergency and I waited out. After couple of hours the staff said, it was shift change time, I might as well grab lunch the doctors wont be calling me in the next hour. I was very anxious, I had given my dad a mobile phone, I know he would be extremely anxious and scared to be alone in there even though he seemed recovered . He didnt answer the phone. I didnt want to eat , but I had to be strong dont what will happen the next few days, so forced myself to go to the food court nearby . there was an indian stall , so asked for a roti , dal and subji .
    I sat down to eat, I saw the food ,thought how my dad must be and tears streamed down my face. I composed myself and and decided to try calling him once more. This time he answered and said the doc was attending to him. The doc asked if I could come in . I asked the stall lady if she could keep my food, I will be back in 15 mins.

    I went in explained to the doc, what happened. He said looks like a TIA ( transient stroke), however he seems to have recovered all tests ok, and he can probably be discharged. They will let me know in couple of hours. The doc team left and I was hanging around near dad for a few mins. Within 5 mins it happened again , I saw his mouth go crooked and his speech slurring before my very own eyes. Oh no. The doctor rushed back and checked, they said he has to be warded for a couple of days, it could be the prelude to a bigger stroke. Oh no, oh no, oh no. They asked me to wait out till they did further tests. A good 2 hours had passed. Dazed I went back to the stall , thinking they must have thrown out my food, I just didnt care, I need to stuff some food into me. The lady took out my plate , uncovered it, took one look at the cold food and decided to microwave it . Then she changed her mind kept it aside and took a fresh plate and served me fresh hot food. I offered to pay but she refused, "Nevamnd, lah". I smiled , my eyes filling up. She smiled and looked away .
    The thoughtfulness of that lady , one human's care to another , in this world of vast divides , touched me. It made was the hug I very much needed. Annadhanm is the greatest dhanam they say and that day I received it and realised that it is not the food but the love that we give/receive

    To complete the story, My dad was discharged in a couple of days, he was fine. I went back the next day to meet the lady and offered her money, offered to get her fruit juice, she refused and seemed embarrassed . I thanked her again and went away. This was an act for which I couldnt pay back in cash or kind. I am to remain indebted to her. and pay it forward.
     
    satchitananda, Thyagarajan and Afresh like this.
  6. Amulet

    Amulet IL Hall of Fame

    Messages:
    3,147
    Likes Received:
    5,088
    Trophy Points:
    408
    Gender:
    Female
    That was the good part of the story..
    Those who deign to offer help to strangers, would feel good about themselves for having done that. Creating reinforced-good-people among us happens only when those who receive know how to respond to kindness, and resolve to pay forward. Nice!
     
  7. Brevity

    Brevity Gold IL'ite

    Messages:
    325
    Likes Received:
    587
    Trophy Points:
    173
    Gender:
    Female
    When I used to travel by public transport to school we had a concession ticket for students where the conductor would mark a journey. At times, when I had to take multiple buses to make the same journey, the mark would be made by one of the buses and I would have to pay money for the next leg of the journey.
    Sometimes, I find myself short of money when this happens. Kind strangers have given me many 50 paises and more on multiple occasions. Once the conductor himself made allowance for the ticket money. I am ever so indebted to these kind strangers.
     
  8. HariLakhera

    HariLakhera Platinum IL'ite

    Messages:
    2,336
    Likes Received:
    2,700
    Trophy Points:
    283
    Gender:
    Male
    Lovely lady she was.
     
    SunPa, satchitananda and Thyagarajan like this.
  9. satchitananda

    satchitananda IL Hall of Fame

    Messages:
    17,880
    Likes Received:
    25,953
    Trophy Points:
    590
    Gender:
    Female
    That is ever so heart-warming! One meets some wonderful people from time to time, justifying the title of this threat to the "T".
     
    SunPa likes this.

Share This Page