The Rain.. Realization

THANK YOU!!!…

Do you remember when did you said these words and to whom..

i’m sure you remember..

To your boss for giving you a good rating in performance appraisal last Sept

To your wife when she gave you your most awaited Birthday Gift

To your friend when he let you have his new bought car for a test ride..

Every morning when we wake up & go to our office, colleges & meet many people but we ignore many people who pass by us & play integral part of our lives even without being noticed…

let me share an incident… which touched me today..

it was 6 in the morning & i was standing at this station waiting for my cab to arrive.. for a pickup scheduled today.

it was a 8 hours long & tiring journey & with this heavy luggage in my hands was waiting for this gentleman to arrive

the weather was awesome.. the dark clouds above me were just waiting for the threshold moment to arrive when the clouds couldn’t hold anymore.

it was becoming darker minute by minute & the wind speed faster & faster…at one point after loosing patience i called for a auto to drop me home..

the auto driver was a simple fellow in mid 40’s waiting with his old auto for a customer to arrive & start his day..

I asked him… how much would you take to drop me to my home..

350/= he replied…

i was surprised… not because he was overcharging me.. but because he was undercharging me.. normally these auto drivers ask for 450-600 for a single side drop..

i immediately agreed after confirming with him twice….i tapped my ear twice to be sure i heard the right figure..

so we started the 40 minutes drive, which actually took more than 1 hour because no matter how hard he tried the auto best delivered speed was not more than 40 km/hr & that too with lot of noise.

The condition of auto was pathetic..

the seats were torn.. the metals on sides were rusted… the side curtains were torn & tied with a rope which probably came from a jute rag..the speedometer was not working & it took a push from 3 guys to start the auto.. but still it was the best auto i ever had after the journey was completed..

the weather today morning in the town was best i have seen in years!!

after sometime.. it started to rain… that was the THE MOMENT!!! of my life..

Slow Showers of rain… with cold wind blowing through the auto.. the perfect weather & a perfect moment..

Splashes of rain fell on my clothes & by the time we just covered 10 minutes of our journey i was totally wet…

but who cared.. i was mesmerized by the scenic view of the same road on which i have traveled so many times in past couple of years…without realizing how beautiful the place looked during rain..

suddenly the auto driver… noticed that i was completely wet & shivering with the cold wind blowing through my shorts & t shirt.

he could not do anything.. because the curtains of auto were also torn.. probably he saved a couple of bucks by not replacing them..

you should get them replaced… they are of no use.. i just said

he looked at me.. as if i mocked his financial status.. he said.. rains like these usually don;t come.. so what’s the point..

he had a point.. you usually don;t see such beautiful rains & wind together in Delhi & NCR now.

suddenly he changed his seating position on the driver seat & his new position blocked my view of the beautiful scenery across the road..

he said.. you will not have a direct impact of rain on you now.. so you can sit easily..

i was spell bound.. i had no words.. his small act of kindness had no words to be described..

this might sound stupid to read.. but he did what he could to protect me from the thunder showers..

i did not say a single word to him.. but my gratitude to him was known to me.. a perfect example of customer service..

when i reached home.. he parked his auto in a shed close by to help me disembark the vehicle so that i don’t have to stand in rain

i got down from auto, paid him the money & it was done.. he could have left happily.. just then i noticed he was completely drenched in rain.. all his clothes wet..

he had a entire day to spend in these clothes… which were more wet than the rain coming down..

i asked him to come to house & wait for sometime till the rain settles down & meanwhile he can dry his clothes..

he readily agreed… as if he waiting for my invitation..

i offered him tea & snacks & he had them readily without uttering a single word..

by the time he was ready to leave.. he was dried up to some extent..

he said.. THANK YOU!! Sir.. not many people offer such shelter to auto drivers..

THANK YOU!! i said.. you saved me from rain today…

This incident made me realize…. how many people i have missed saying than you..

Here are few such more people whom i would like to thank today..

The IT guy from my office..

I cannot have a normal day in office if the IT guy is not around. From getting me an extra LAN cable to fixing the task manager, this guy is my go-to person for all laptop hacks. Trust me, I need him more often than I realize

The Pantry Boy from my office..

He manages to make that perfect coffee for me and he’s ready to do that even 5 times a day…

The watchman…

He’s up all night to keep an eye on my house and my car. He’s been doing night shifts all his life.

The iron man…

He deserves a big thank you for making my look presentable in office. No matter what brands I buy, i’ll look awful if my clothes weren’t ironed properly