K for Kindness by Ruchika Garg

During the lockdown, while I was working from home, I joined a group of people who were helping the distressed during the pandemic. Right from the medical help to ration and basic items, they were trying in their best capacity to help the underprivileged across the country. My role was to manage accounts and coordinate a few projects. I was happy to be a part of it, everything was smooth.

One night, when I was about to sleep, I got a call from Ramesh, a migrant from Bihar who used to work in Delhi. He was a hairdresser in a salon before had lost his job in the lockdown. His wife was six months pregnant at that time and was undergoing treatment in one of the private hospitals in Delhi. Without a job, he could not afford his wife’s medical expenditure. He wanted to leave for his home town in Bihar, but the landlord had confiscated his luggage as he had to pay him the accumulated rent for the past four months.

Ramesh had lost his first child at the time of birth in Bihar. This time, his wife wanted to deliver in Delhi. She was adamant about not going back and tried to kill herself. Ramesh was crying while telling me his story and I tried to console him, saying I will try my best and that your child will be fine.

I was so upset upon hearing his story, thinking how could someone go through so much pain! Right before sleeping, I meditated and prayed for him. The next morning, I shared Ramesh’s story on my Facebook page, and help poured in from all the directions. He received more than 20k in his account the very next day. He cleared off his debts. He convinced his wife to go back and they left the Capital.