I often hear that the auto drivers are inhuman and dangerous, really I said,’ they have been extraordinarily kind to me’. In fact, while in Indore I had an unwritten contract with an auto driver bhaiya that he was the one to pick and drop me or my daughter for close to 5 years. Now this could even be early morning sports events at 6 am or post annual function or other events at 10 pm, there was never a murmur ever on either side, that sometimes I joked to my colleagues who would ask, ‘who did you come with’, and I would go ‘the auto wallah’, with a wink!

More than that they were also my besties, the auto wallah bhaiyas, that once a college function pic appeared in a local paper and they were the first to point it to me and almost celebrate it. Kind of made my day brighter!

In Bangalore, though I have had some tough experiences but that does not make me brand all auto drivers as being unethical because they are not obviously.

On the linkedin a young lady wrote to me saying she was looking for work. She said, ‘I just wanted to connect to you’, I was amazed at this and we talked.

Apparently with the COVID 19 her life has been difficult and she was going through some tough time.Well, so was I! After a few exchanges of messages on phone, and some talk later, we sort of built some bonding. Yesterday I reached out to her asking for some suggestion and she said your daughter is mine too, Sreelekha!,I will do whatever is possible’. Really!!! I was moved beyond words.

When I connected her with another friend of mine for a webinar, I felt good. Isn’t the world a good place!

I can share numerous instances like that. When I was buying my flat against a negative bank balance on my own,fighting my own diffidence, a whole lot of indifference and skepticism and some genuine doubt, the man who was selling it to me said, ‘listen I will transfer this amount to you from my wife’s account. Give it back to us when you are comfortable’.

Now who does that? I don’t even know the guy or his family but there I was being helped to help accomplish a wish I thought I would never be able to achieve in the first place.

I guess we all have these examples of the goodness of the universe reaching out to us at different times but when life takes a bad turn, we forget and blame the whole world for being selfish and cruel.

Of course we need to be cautious and careful and often times when I have lowered my defence, I have been taken for a ride or two! That notwithstanding, I would still say ‘its a good world, with the kind forces of the universe guiding and almost holding your hand with compassion and a great deal of consideration’.

So what if some dreams never come true, some wishes never become real, some efforts go in vain, it is all just fine.

I use this talisman often, ‘think of a street dog or any animal or tree in this world, whose right or need or very existence is always in jeopardy,yet does it or he/she have a choice to express, question or even plead!’ Well, knowing the answer to that one has to be grateful for the many many blessings one has.

Our lives are always better than that of many others in so many different ways even when we are going through some very bad times and we always have the power and the strength to give, reach out and help one another, then why waste time cribbing, go have a happy life, happy as it is! Cheers!

https://indianexpress.com/article/trending/trending-in-india/pune-auto-driver-helps-feed-migrants-with-money-saved-for-his-wedding-6415832/