Cycle rider

Late 9 pm, Senapati Bapat Road Bus station & I am waiting for a bus to Kothrud. Feeling tired, as usual, more mentally then physically, after solving mind boggling software bugs of directx drivers. Buses in Pune are sick; one can’t say for sure when it will come or whether it will come at all!! Whether it come Or it doesn’t, it makes no difference. If it doesn’t, I have to hire taxi & pay more bucks, if it does although I save money, the 20 minute journey to home would be horrible. So it’s a win-win situation. (Yeah, I am more optimistic than ever before especially after working in Nvidia Corp. for almost 1.5 years & living in a city like Pune).

One hour passed, my hunger is becoming intense & at the same rate my perseverance of waiting is diminishing. Almost made up a mind to hire a taxi and a break in the cloud!!! There comes a diesel horse, PMTS (Pune Municipal Transportation Service) bus. A bus, full of commuters, full of hustle and bustle took away my little relief when I felt it would be really hard to get in!! But I am adamant and ready to face the fierce competition offered by all other commuters who were waiting with me at a bus stop. Turned up my sleeve and started pushing people in but I underestimated my competitors!! One big jerk and they threw me out... I yelled and further tried to get in but no consequences and much awaited hope perished!! Bus left!!! Now I am running behind it, a last try, I may succeed (winners never give up after all) and a voice came from behind “Jaldi se mere pichhe aa jao, hum bas pakad lege” (Come with me & we’ll surely catch a bus). I turned back and saw a cycle rider who is offering me a ride on his bicycle so that we can chase the bus and catch it at next nearby stop. I glanced at him with surprise. About 23 years of age, he seemed to be some labor worker of industrial area of chinchvad (a suburb of pune); I wondered how the hell he would carry 70kg of mass on his bicycle as he wasn’t having a strong physique.

“What?” ,”how would you take me to that bus?”, I exclaimed.

“Well! I would take you there, somehow!!” , he smiled.

“But...this cycle!! Are you sure?..amm..well…”, I am confused.

“Hurry up, don’t ask questions otherwise you wouldn’t reach there”, he gave me enough hope.

“Okay” said I and rode his bicycle and he started chasing bus, I felt helping me to get my bus is a mission for him.

I saw that bus has stopped at next traffic light and that red light is strengthening the hope of both of us and now we are just 5-10 meters away. Yeah!!! We are almost done, now just a matter of few pedals but then suddenly light turned green and bus started going away from us. I yelled again, hope somebody listens but god seems to be stoic today.

“uhhhhhhhh!!!”, a deep sigh and I gave up (I think winners lose sometimes but yeah most of the time they win and I feel this is not the time to win !! ;) )

“What happened? Come again” Now we should surely catch it at next traffic light” I think he is more optimistic than me. I know that we are not going to get it but I am really impressed with his attitude so I rode the cycle again and again he tried with more effort, but in vain!! We are at next stop and still away from bus.

He is exhausted and breathing rapidly after pulling me for almost 3 km, but still I can see a smile on his face.

“Okay buddy, thank you, I’ll pick up a taxi from here”, I thanked him.

“So you live in Kothrud right”, he asked.

“Yeah”, I nodded.

“If you don’t mind I can take you to Kothrud on my cycle”, he again offered whatever was in his control.

Oh boy!! Why is he so polite and helpful to me? Kothrud is like 5 km from here, he has already travelled 10 km and now why he would want to carry me further just for the sake of help? Now suspicious thoughts started hovering my head, Is there some intention behind this and does he want something from me? (I thought like a normal, ordinary man for whom unasked help is just a product of selfish motive!!)

I politely said “No, dear friend, I don’t want to give you more trouble and I am really obliged to you for whatever you did for me”

“Okay than I would go now, good night”, grinned he and again I see that selfless and innocent smile on his face.

He left and at the same time he left a deep impression on me. His enlightened face is deeply engraved in my memories. In today’s era where people have become so much self centered and busy that they couldn’t find time for others and in worse cases even for their families, humanity and selfless love is still alive in form of cycle rider who are ready to offer whatever they can to others just for the sake of humanity!!

Long live all those altruists who are making life on earth more beautiful and a reason for celebration.