Bachpan se we have been taught "Achai ka phal humesha acha hota hai" (One good turn begets another) but I am not really sure this saying holds true anymore......
* A couple of days ago, me and my friend were going somewhere. On the way, i decided to eat sandwich which my mom had packed for me. Spotting an elderly man next to us and staring at us while eating, i asked my friend that we should offer him a sandwich. "Uncle bhuke lag rahe hain" i said. As my friend nodded in approval, i reached out and offered him a sandwich. The guy refused and in his booming voice said "Nahi nahi, agar main yeah sandwich khaunga toh main bhi tumhare tarah mota ho jaaunga...Apna size dekho aur apne friend se kuch seekho..thoda patla hone ki koshish karo" Stunned, i didn't know how to respond. We moved from there, but not before I had given the guy a piece of my mind.
* Travelling to noida by metro, I was standing for nearly an hour. When I finally got a seat, I gratefully gave my poor tired legs some rest. A couple of minutes later, a lady got in with one child in her arms and another by her side. Trying to balance herself and the child, she tried adjusting her purse. I looked around. There were people who were sitting for the last one hour but not one moved a muscle. No one offered her a seat. My tired legs complained. "You dont need to give up your seat" they told me. Suddenly the metro gave a jerk and the lady lost her balance. She crashed against a rod but managed to save the child from getting hurt. And yet no one moved. Ignoring my feet, I got up and offered her my seat. She sat down gratefully and both her kids found a cozy place to sit. I did not get another seat for the next 30 minutes and I reached noida with painful feet.
* Once again on a metro ride to noida, I saw a pair of twins barely 3-4 years old, looking for place in the crowded compartment. The babies couldn't stand for a minute without being stamped on by someone. I got up and offered them my seat. Out of nowhere, their mom came hurriedly, asked the kids to get up and sat down. The kids were left looking for space again.
If they say, a good turn begets another.I have yet to see that happen. These 3 incidents in the last one week have left me questioning my beliefs. And this is not just about offering food to strangers or giving up my seat in crowded public transport.
I often wonder if there is any point being nice and kind to anyone especially when you dont seem to get any kindness from anyone around you. If good karma attracts good things into your life, shouldn't bad karma attract bad things? If yes, how come some of the meanest and nastiest people I know, are also the most successful and happy people I have seen? If there are no shortcuts to success, how come there are people who have taken shortcuts and are still successful. Why does life seem so freaking unfair at times that it threatens to destroy the goodness in you? I know everything turns out fine in the end, but what if the end comes too late? What if by the time things turn fine, I no longer care?
