I wanted to watch this for long. And I ordered it when I was traveling to america. It's a short thirty minute video. I liked it. The music is very nice! I have already watched it thrice!

#gratitude #spiritual

One day Kartik and I had gone to a small place where some poor people lived. Both of us had no idea what we would do. I anyway depended solely on my deep voice and few words to make interaction. He parked the bike at a little distance and we walked towards the place. Some kids had already started playing with the bike. They were tiny enough to play hide-behind-the-wheel. We had a packet of sweets with us. We slowly approached them. When we got near them a guy came and took the packet from me, we had no say. We just looked on. A lot of people gathered and wanted to have a piece of sweet. It was a completely new experience to us. We could not decide how to react. We turned back to go. A little girl came and tugged at my shirt and asked for some money. We asked her why she does not go and eat the sweets? She did not answer. She kept tugging at my shirt. Slowly we walked back to the bike planning on how we should handle it the next time.

#gratitude

Kartik and I go to a school nearby. There is an orphanage and an old age home also. In the beginning we had no idea what to do there. Now we tell stories, play with them and share sweets. On our first visit I had held one tiny little girl on my lap throughout the time I narrated the story. She was not well on our next visit and when we went next time I was surprised to observe that although I did not notice her she had noticed Jyoti Anna. I was smiling. And it was not only her. I never anticipated that an hour-a-week visit would make them remember my name. We all have a good time when we go there.

#gratitude

I go to Ramakrishna Math almost every weekend. And Usually I walk from there to the nearest bus stand, which is about two km far from there. It takes about half an hour. On my way I always noticed a man sitting at the same place (he has no legs). He never asked anything from me. But he would always look at me and smile. I returned the smile. Then one weekend I went up to him and we had a conversation. He told me that presently he is having some problems but his ‘ATM card’ would come on Monday and then it will be all fine. And that a Tiffin-wala comes and gives them Tiffin which costs fifteen rupees. I could not hear most of what he said because he was feeble and had few teeth but one thing that was striking is that he kept smiling and did not complain about anything. Nor did he ask for anything, instead in fact, he asked me if I had taken lunch. I had eaten and had got some lunch for him too. I gave to him and left.

What struck me most in this episode is that although he was old and frail he was not resentful at all.

When I think about it now I think what experience he must have gone through? He is old and has no one to call his own, yet he lives and smiles. I believe given an opportunity nobody would choose to be a beggar. When someone is hungry for days he can but only beg. To have respect and love is a very very deeply rooted instinct which simply cannot be suppressed permanently. With encouragement and help it is always possible to see a positive change.

#gratitude

One day Kartik and I were returning from office. I was waiting outside a internet-cafe where he was getting some printouts. A little girl barely up to my knees came near with spread hands. Yes, both hands. I got two chocolates, sat down there and tried talking to her. But she did not smile nor did she show any other emotion, I don't even know if she was interested in the chocolate. I started eating one chocolate and gave one to her. She made no attempt to eat it. She was doing that just out of habit. She walked away clumsily, half of the chocolate breaking and falling. We noticed that she gave it to her elder sister. Now we could see emotions on her face. And when her elder sister started eating it she too wanted to eat it and was fighting for it.

#gratitude

I was coming back from office. On a turning I heard someone call me... bhaiya. I paused and noticed a woman approach me. Her husband was also standing there with their baby on his shoulders. She said she needed some money to take her baby to hospital. I was nervous. I did not know how to behave. I gave her hundred rupees. She said she would need some more. I gave her. She hesitantly said she would need some more. I was walking back anyways, I gave her all I had in my wallet. I was nervous. I did not look into her eyes except when I had turned. I didn't know how to behave. I did not ask anything. I showed no real emotions on my face although I was continuously trying to understand the situation. In fact they might have found me cold because although I looked calm and listened I did not utter a single word nor smiled. I was sorry that I did not smile and did not spend some 'time'.

#gratitude