Chennai, Tamil and an unexpected gesture that restored my faith in human good!
Joy and dismay do travel hand in hand at times or so was my
situation when I got my Date-Of-Joining mail from IT major Wipro technologies. The
joy obvious was from late-but-timely DOJ but shock was regarding the place they
had assigned for training - Chennai. The fact that they hate to speak in Hindi,
the supposed common denominator in India, made me miserable at first thought. I
knew no south Indian language except
Kannada and they knew no language that I was fluent in. Complete dead-lock.
On the other hand DOJ being served just a week before joining left little room
for negotiations and so, with very little to do, I started packing myself for
Chennai treat!
Once in city, I was open for more - with stinky street, political posters
on every new wall and building, my worries tended to rise. Added to it was my
language dilemma. But then I met this man!
Actually, it was my search from shop to shop, person to person for
accommodation which landed me at his grocery shop. With lungi, baniyan and
vermilion, he was your typical tamilian who spoke clueless Tamil. I thought he
was yet another fellow, who will shoo me away like previous one's but unlike the
rest he greeted me well and made me feel ease with myself. Language? No, he
didn't knew good Hindi nor I learned Tamil on way but we both knew one
universal language – the sign language and it worked with few bits of
Hindi-English! May be for all sweat I had or simply out of compassion, he
ringed few numbers, looked like he enquired for my accommodation, handled few
customers mid-way and later called one lady behind his shop (probably spouse),
asked her to take care of shop and came where I was standing on street. I
thought it was done, he has arranged for my accommodation, may be for some commission
or so, which was okay given all the uncertainties I was pitted against in a
foreign land. But no, there was something fishy. He came with his bike, asked
me to sit for which I silently obliged without asking any questions. And we
together set for a tour of nearby. Almost after ten minutes he stopped at some
cross, spoke over his phone and again we started for another five minutes.
Between all this, my mind was full of suspicion. How much is he going to
charge? Will I have to empty my pocket? Where was he going? Kidnap? Meanwhile we
stopped before a flat; I left a sigh of relief. Another Tamil anna appeared
before us who took me inside his compound and showed me my room-to-be which
didn't quench my parameters and I came out. Outside was this man, still
standing by his bike, intact. I was pretty sure by now; he was up for
something, may be to empty my pockets. I cried silently for divine
intervention! "It is not how I want it, leave me near your shop itself, I
will search nearby places", all in a language of signs and bit of
Hindi-English! And thus began another round of talk with air on his bike. This
time although, he chose another street only to provide wings to my already
thickening doubts regarding his intentions. But when he showed me my office,
the route to be and other finer details regarding the city I was about to live
in for few more months, my whirling thoughts seemed to rest. But then, what was
he all up to? At last when we reached from where we had started, I took my
wallet out to pay him for all his priceless help but suddenly, he folded his
hands, few lines in Tamil and then mix of Hindi-English. "It's okay saar!
You're welcome. Feel at home." Dumbstruck. Uneasiness dawned upon me. I
was simply getting restless over a man who meant no harm but pure sheer help.
God, spare me! A help of few directions too would have meant huge for me in new
city but he had wasted his fuel (You know how costly that is!), time and energy
all for a stranger, a stranger who spoke Hindi (Yes, that's quite a thing
here!). Later on I didn't force him to take money again for that seemed to
insult his noble gesture. "Thank you anna, I shall return, return to your
shop until I'm here in Chennai to purchase everything I require to", was
all that I could say in return, it was all that I had to offer for his
priceless favor. And with a feel of gratitude, surprise and elated heart I
began my frantic search for room again, on my own this time. There was little
to worry this time around for this was my home. As some great mind put it - the
world is my home.
In dark shines the light, in a pool of crowd are few people who restore
one's faith in humanity again and again when it starts to dwindle. Its people
like him who keep lamps of human good shining and lightened forever. Health,
wealth and glory be theirs, always, for making us believe in human good, again.
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