~ A Photostat Life...~

He is the man sitting in a dingy little room converted into a shop of photostat and printing – with offline shelves stacked of stationery and enquiring about him more, you will get to know that Mahesh – what he likes calling himself, he has been working here for past 5 years.

He loves his job and is punctual to the surprise of everyone, as he reaches to open the shop himself by 8 a.m regularly, without fail. Mahesh is all smiles as he received me on his shop – as I was enquiring about any photostat shop in close vicinity – it was urgent for me that day – suddenly I stumbled upon Mahesh and quickly asked him “ Photostat ho jayegi?” [ Is Photostat available?] – he answered with equally quick ‘Yes’ and with an ear-to-ear smile. 

The deal was thus done – in the midst of the act, I asked him questions about his life and where he belongs and what is the best thing about his ‘JOB’ that he does with so much fervour. As he was working along with, he was intermittently answering my questions but one thing constant was his captivating smile.

“Bhaiya, I am from Gurgoan and I travel 30 kms one side everyday to do this ‘JOB’, which I have been doing for past 5 years non – stop. I love this job as it gives me a stable income, the malik {Employer} is a happy go lucky person and he has given me full command to run this shop and hardly interferes in whatever decisions I take in my day-to-day functioning.”

He was a man of his words – as the job entailed paying change of rupee notes, here was a man who PayTm’ed me back a paltry sum of Rs 2/- which had remainder of the job, as I said “ Leave it!” he was quick to revert “ No Bhaiya, business is business, I have to pay you Rs 2 which he did!”

Asking about what future holds for him and what he think about future, he was very positive, “ Bhaiya , I am not married as now but soon will be getting married, I earn ok and I have told everything very clearly to my fiancée and she is OK with it as far as we both are happily married. – though one day I would like to have my own setup of printing and photostat!”

His meagre aims and aspirations and living satisfactorily in these times begets him of a title of a Saint in today’s time! – he is oblivious of people who are incessantly running after power, positions and titles and not paying heed to other important goodies life has offered them – health, family, wife, parents, kids, family and friends… as I always keep on chatting with people I meet everyday and try to form a human bond and strike a talking deal – I see loads of such souls who are living well beyond one’s means BUT are satisfied souls…a true examples to emulate in this age of run and noise!