So it was same another summer afternoon.My bike was crawling on Highway and got stuck at traffic signal.I tucked my bike in a strategic place from where I could v room off as soon as I see green light. I switched off ignition of bike and just had a 360 degree look.There were innumerable vehicles.All types of vehicles.Large ones,small ones,medium ones,some shining like an emerald in summer noon,some draped in thin layer of sand,some with tinted glass,some with open window and so on.I missed those days when I  used to travel on bus.I found it amusing to observe all those people moving around you on road.Some in foul mood, cursing everyone,some lost in themselves,a couple on bike for whom a traffic signal was just an opportunity to get a bit cozy and so more.It felt more human.Now I ride a bike . Now there is competition.Everyone on Road is my competitor to speed off as soon as possible.So here was scene.An urchin,was trying to sell a pack of napkins to an uncle ,sitting behind tinted window of his black sedan .The boy was not wearing much on upper half of his body.I puzzled whether he had nothing to wear or he was making himself comfortable in the summer.The boy was wearing a slipper which , in no case, could save his feet from roads simmering by sun heat.I felt torridity of road inside my shoes.There was a bargain going on for a pack of napkins.Boy asked for 20 rupees.Uncle was willing to shell out only ten bucks.I can never understand that a person who drive in a luxury Sedan, spends a fortune on its maintenance,smokes a Davidoff  cigar and gets duped at every showroom of branded luxury, find it difficult to shell out 10 bucks to a person who is trying to live his life at his own.At least he is not begging. Why we start thinking at that moment that we are being fooled by buying paper napkin of 10 bucks for 20.Why can not we let ourselves be fool a bit?Then I remembered a poem by Ashok Chakradhar.It narrates the same incident.Here jam is large.So uncle thinks to just have a good time pass on cost of poor urchin and tells him that he is selling paper napkins too costly that he will find it difficult to wipe even his sweat off with it.Then boy tells him that they are not meant for wiping off sweat because nobody perspires in air conditioned car.It is just a showpiece in these luxury cars.But indeed ,these napkins are very costly.There are people like him who are moving in scorching heat for their livelihood ,who need something to wipe off their perspiration but they can not afford it.Now it is turn of uncle to break out in sweat.Then boy tells him to move on as signal has turned green.Same happened here.The poor boy could not sell napkin.Signal turned green and everyone moved on.So after reaching office, when I was about to take out paper napkins to dry my hands, somewhere deep in my heart , I felt that it is extravagant to use paper napkins.So I left them and pulled out my handkerchief.

#Napkins

gratitude life story