Two Days Two Tales

This morning, I told myself that I will pause for a while from writing. Somehow felt that in solitude and silence, the Universe speaks to us and I really wanted to just listen. 

But these two tales touched my heart so much, I had to write them down. 

Friday 

Day before yesterday, along with my mother, I went to our old house that has been locked up for a while. This house is a little away from the city and while going there I booked an Ola Auto. 

After spending some time in the house, speaking to the neighbours, it was time to return home. Since it is a gated community, we walked upto the main gate and looked for autos. There were two standing a little away but did not look neat, so I again started booking on my app.

As the app was processing the request, an auto with a passenger passed by and the driver waived at me saying that he will be back in a minute after dropping her. I did not want to disappoint him and cancelled the request before it was booked. He came back cheerful that we waited and quoted 250 Rs. I told him the app is showing 200 and he requested that I pay 220.

We sat down discussing the fare. I asked him did he have UPI so I can transfer. He said he has lost that number and so is not able to take payments. He seemed very friendly and I jokingly raised my voice and said, many people do not carry cash now, how inconvenient. He agreed but laughed it away. Continuing the conversation, I asked him if he had Ola and if he did have, paying exact cash is so difficult. He laughed again and said No Ola Amma…..and I asked him how do you get passengers without Ola and without Online payments….He said ..No Ola pola….No Gpay Phone pay…..God arranges everything ….Like you just now got in….I know He will take care and everyday He does …He laughed again. 

I turned silent and looked back at what happened a few minutes ago. I had felt a deep urge from within to not get into the two autos parked there….As I started to book, just then he had drove past and I had felt a deep urge to cancel my booking ( even if it cost me) looking at him. Even when he said 220Rs, I could not say no to him and gladly wanted to pay him what he asked for.

Yes this was true surrender and this was His Grace I just witnessed. The drive ended but my heart still holding this experience.

Sunday 

Just as the first tale touched me, this one made me think.

I walked to a vendor a little away from my parents house, to pick up Sitaphal and Hyacinth beans ..Called Anapa Ginjalu in Telugu. The middle aged lady comes from a village nearby and is a little stern. She quoted 60 per kg for the beans and 100 per kg for the Sitaphal and refused to reduce the prices. I picked up two kilos of beans and one kilo of Sitaphal. 

My mental math is now at the mercy of calculators looks like, I arrived at figure of 320 instead of 220 and gave her a 500 and a 20 Re note. She returned 300 and I told her, Amma you are giving me 100 more, give me 200 Rs. She looked at me sternly again and said I am giving you correctly and why do I need your money anyways. I corrected the amount in my mind and said you are right. She continued, not one penny of yours I need and I will keep, with a gesture of Namaste. I took the bag and the change and walked home. She refused to reduce the price when I bargained and she was offended when I asked her to keep what was not hers. 

Here is surrender, Here is honesty, There surely is so much of learning all around, only that I am not paying attention. 

My heart felt this 

If I was in the place of the auto driver, maybe I would have panicked without UPI and Apps, maybe I would have felt “Everything was not in place”. I surely would not have been as carefree as he was.

If I was in the place of that lady vendor, I would have certainly been honest but when someone bargained for a lower price maybe I would have given in. She was firm in her pricing and even if I had taken 10 kilos, she would not have budged from that price. I may not have been that confident of myself.

My mind went further thinking of what was the actual difference…..

I am educated and they both were surely not.

But what else is primarily altered between us – the lettered and the unlettered.

The Sun is forever giving light and warmth yet we do not seem to notice or care as we have electricity. 

The rains are as beautiful and precious, but we have water taps that run on our commands. We do not respect rains anymore. They are at times even called inconvenience.

The breeze is no longer soothing as the fans and Air conditioners are everywhere.

The soil, Our Mother Earth, is almost forgotten, for when did we last feel her when did she last touch our soul 

The sky is no longer the beauty that inspired poems, as we have drowned in our forever distressed Television channels and the life consuming mobile phones.

These two unlettered souls who walked before me in these two days…somehow indicated that surrender, confidence and worry free living comes naturally to them, for they are firmly connected to the elements. Maybe they feel the unseen Presence and touch of the Divine all the time…..

They need not learn anything while I have to unlearn so much.

🙏❤️