Life
isn’t always about profit and loss
Sometimes
mind listens & heart becomes the boss
Its
when one thinks beyond self and cares for how others feel
That
they truly strike the “Dil Ki Deal”
It
is often believed that one who has money and power only can make a difference
in someone else’s life. But an incident from my mom in law’s life taught me how
a simple housewife decided to follow her heart and strike the perfect Dil ki
deal.
In
the old times when salaries never matched the mouths to be fed, monthly rent
from a small house in West Delhi was a big help to Ma’s monthly budget. My
father in law’s job demanded him to stay out of town, so it was ma’s responsibility
to collect the monthly rent and manage the household budget.
It
was Diwali time. Sweets, clothes, crackers, customary gifts…there was so much
to be bought and ma knew all this went beyond her budget. Banking on the 10th
of the month when she was to receive the monthly rent, she decided to visit the
tenants.
As
ma rang the doorbell, the feeble frame of the tenant’s wife appeared at the
door to usher her in. The tenants were a humble family of 5, a couple and their
3 kids. Ma knew of their not so good financial condition, but as she entered
the house, she knew there was something wrong. Although it was Diwali time, the
festivity was nowhere to be seen. The family wore a sad look on their faces.
When ma inquired about the well being, the tenant’s wife told her that their
youngest daughter had taken ill. All their savings had gone in the treatment and
the treatment still required them to pump in more cash. “This Diwali has no
meaning for us, for we can’t light up our own child’s life”, the tenant’s wife
said, controlling her tears. Despite the turmoil in their lives, the tenants
were an honest couple. “Behanji, that we are facing this crisis doesn’t mean we
would hide away from our duty. Here’s the rent for this month”, the lady said
as she handed over the 800 bucks to ma.
Speechless
at their sincerity and the cruel game destiny was playing; ma left the house
with a heavy heart.The neighbourhood
kids were bursting crackers however; a thousand crackers burst inside ma’s
heart and created the noise she couldn’t ignore. She could not erase the image
of the family’s faces from her mind. For a humble housewife, the monthly rent
meant a big help, yet her heart felt heavier with each step. Something in ma
forced her to return…
The
surprise was evident on the face of tenant’s wife as she opened the door. “What
happened behanji, I counted the money and it’s the right amount. Hope all well….”
The lady went speechless as ma held her hand and handed over the money back and
said “The child needs the money more. Take the money and use it for her
treatment. Its Diwali time, hope this small contribution does something to
brighten up your child’s life.”The lady tried to offer the money back, but ma
assured her she could repay when the child recovered.
As
ma walked out, her heart was filled with satisfaction from the deal she had
struck. She might not have been able to pamper her kids the way she wanted that
Diwali, but she had listened to her heart and had struck the #DilKiDeal
Beautiful... inspiring little story
ReplyDeleteGood to see u back...keep it up!
ReplyDeleteShe did the right thing. Truly a DilKiDeal!
ReplyDelete