~ Humans of Delhi...~

He comes once in a month and is always brimming with a smile. In all sweat, he has a bogey of 2-3 gas cylinders – which he exchanges with the empty ones whilst he treads house to house, floor to floor.

The job is tough, but he has now got used to the rigmarole as one does after going through the initial grill of life. The best part of his persona is his bubbly nature, as his demeanor – he is always ready to start a healthy conversation – be it about life, family and rising prices of Gas and petrol.

People often ask him the question of next government decision to rise the price of a gas cylinder which is so indispensable in many households, though many have now switched to piped gas. Acknowledging their pain, he replies back with a smile – many do take his reply quite seriously as somehow, he has that vital information people expect of him.

He always wears his ‘Official’ dress – a green T-shirt splashing the company’s logo he works for and is proud of what he is doing in life – as he tells me with a sparkle in his eyes “ I have been doing this work since 20 years now!, I came from Bihar empty handed and have made my own house and got married here and have kids!”  - he had just shared his entire life sketch in two simple lines, as I watch him with much interest.

He quickly puts the empty cylinder on his cycle and hooks it with all neatness, takes out a cloth and rubs his face to clear the sweat. He smiles again and take out the water bottle to satiate his thirst.

Hearing his fable, I see in him a man in all completeness and satisfaction of life he is living. He has proudly absorbed his life’s situation and is in complete harmony with the situation he is in. In spite of his meagre living and earning capacity, he is happily married, has made his own dwelling, is hale and hearty and of course is proud parent to his two kids – a boy and a girl, both students in a state run school. Of all the parameters I have mentioned, many of us who are reading this today have missed either one or more of the parameters – internally you will move to a thought provoking mode – how come a man whose work entails paddling for miles in Delhi summers remain all contended in life’s situation and still present himself with a contagious smile!

Many of us would envy the fine balance he has made out of his life – he is a winner for many of us, we might not be able to balance things with so many bounties but he has done it with  an ease.

Asked if he wanted a glass of water as it was too hot and humid, he turned down the request as he told me that he always carried a bottle with him whilst he deliver’s cylinders, same was the answer when he was asked if he carried a sanitizer for himself in these times of pandemic.

“Sir, I have small kids and have to work outside and visit homes, I have to be extra careful – which I always am to the best of my ability!” – Such contentment flowing through can only be achieved through strong meditative practice – programming your mind, the worst culprit, is the most arduous task in this world.

Somehow, knowingly or unknowingly he has achieved it , though he must have his own set of regrets, he is treading the path towards a bigger goal. His small achievements which we interpret are actually his biggest!

As he has little time left to report back to his ‘Office’, as he calls it, he hurriedly packs up his bottle and take permission to leave whilst he exchange pleasantries – as he slowly balances his dilapidated bicycle of his three cylinders he has collected, his current task is complete – I watch him silently as he diminishes in quick seconds leaving me with some vital life lessons to follow , one being “Be Contended with what you have, It is HIM who knows what to bestow on you and When….His test of time has no flaws….!”