A Touching Gesture

Yesterday morning, I had a harrowing time finding parking at Penderghast road, Secunderabad, and what with a doctors appointment and with my dad and mom waiting on the road, I was under high pressure. Try all I could, I found no parking, cellar full, road full, next lane full, next road full. I rounded the block thrice but found nothing.

Still wondering what my options were, I chanced upon an ice cream bandi, which if moved could fit the car, so I actually got off and moved the bandi as I saw no one around. Sure enough, this woman appeared from nowhere, gave me a dirty look, and moved the bandi right back. 

(Different bandi, but just :)

I was trying to talk to her and then this angry young man shows up…. old vespa and a red shiny shirt and said, ‘yeh hamara jagah hai, yahan nahi rakh sakthe’ and totally curt and rude. My heart sank. But I decided to try anyways, desperate as I was. I got off and said ‘I know this is your space, I’m not saying no, I just need you to understand my plight, I’ve been trying for half hour, you haven't opened yet, pleeeaase rakhne dijiye’ (let me park), and I could feel him thaw. I then said I’d also treat it like paid parking and give him a hundred rupees. He said how long, and I said about an hour. And we had a deal.

The hospital took us four full hours, and once done I was dreading going back to the parking space and facing that guy to who I’d said one hour.

I obviously had no choice, and I went. Even before I went to the car, I searched him out, which thanks to his flashy red shirt wasn’t difficult, and gave him two hundred rupees. Imagine my surprise when he says, ‘nahi madam, nahi chahiye’. And I’m like ‘rakhlijiye na, aap ki jagah thi’ and he goes ‘aap ka mushkil din tha, hospital gumrahe ho, tension mein ho, aap se kaise lenge hum, nahi madam’. (you've been at the hospital, you've had a difficult day, you're stressed, how can I take money from you, no madam)

What can I say..........just to know there’s people out there who yet have the capability of empathy for even strangers…….. his ability to stretch that hand out over and above his sale of ice cream. 

Thanks Rehmat bhai….you made the day special.