Copyright@shravancharitymission
By Kamlesh Tripathi
By Kamlesh Tripathi
An elderly couple used to visit a small railway station of a
small town every day in the morning and evening. And there they used to wait
for a particular passenger train that used to arrive at six in the morning. The
same train used to return at seven in the evening where again they used to wait
for its arrival and when the train used to leave they too used to leave.
But in the five minutes that the train halted the couple used
to go in opposite directions, one towards the engine and the other towards the other
end of the train as if looking for someone, and often they used to call out for
a particular name.
In the same
platform there was a tea vendor who had his tea stall there for many years. He used
to light his gas stove at 6 in the morning to make tea, and his first customers
used to be out of the same passenger train for which this elderly couple used
to come and wait each morning and evening.
The tea vendor used
to watch the couple quite intently each day even while doing his brisk
business. And this passenger train was rarely late, as it used to be the first
train in the morning.
One morning when
the train arrived as usual the elderly couple went in opposite directions,
calling out a particular name and as the train trickled out of the platform
they came and sat near the staircase trying to catch their breath.
The tea vendor who
was watching them from a distance, like every day, could not hold his
inquisition today. He walked up to the elderly couple and asked.
‘I have being seeing
both of you coming to this platform without fail for years. What do you come
here for and are you searching for someone?’ he asked in a concerned tone.
The couple looked
at each other and the elderly man in a hesitant tone said,
‘Babuji some
fifteen years back in the same passenger train, we had left behind our three
children because we didn’t have money to feed them. So we come here looking for
them, and we shout for the elder one’s name, who was six then, thinking he will
remember his name and respond. But till date we have not met with any success.’
This is poverty in its worst form, and a true story. In life
we often get upset over minor things, even when God has given us everything. Remember,
destiny can be extremely kind to some, and extremely harsh to others. So thank
God for each iota of goodness that you have in your life.
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