I was cursing under my breath for again being late to secure for the day, while opening my car doors. Almost threw my briefcase on the back seat and got behind the steering wheel in a hurry to avoid the late evening traffic of Delhi. The journey back home was only about eight kilometers, but what with the roads jam-packed mostly with cars, i knew it would take me nothing less than an hour to reach my destination.
I couldn't bear the anticipation of the pain in my left toes by the frequent use of the clutch, i took a detour which was almost four to five kilometers more, but, relatively free of traffic. I switched on the AC and pretty soon relaxed and started enjoying the drive, while listening to old melodies and appreciating the well planned city of Lutyen's Delhi for it's greenery and the beautiful Roundabouts.
Within no time i had crossed the old Church building, followed by the Cemetery and the Missionary hospital. As usual, while crossing the hospital premises, i started looking if somebody needed a lift. By giving a lift on this road, i always used to get that satisfying feeling of having done a good deed by letting some needy patient in my car. It was then that i spotted the man with a girl of about five years of age walking together on the footpath. I stopped besides them, rolled down the left window and asked if he would like a lift. He seemed to be very tired and sweating and on getting the offer, quickly agreed and both of them got on the back seat.
As soon as we started moving towards the other gate of the hospital, for it was there that i thought of dropping them, that he started expressing his gratitude and thanked me repeatedly. I asked him where was he coming from and he told me that his daughter was suffering from blood cancer and he not being financially sound couldn't do much about it. Touched by his story, i asked him whether i should drop him till the gate of the hospital or if he was living close by i would as well drop him till his house. To make it easier for him, i also told him that i didn't have much to do after reaching home since my wife and son, who was also about the same age as his daughter, were living in Kolkatta. He agreed to the offer and said that he lived in Palam, which was in the same direction as mine, but about six kilometers further ahead.
I told him not to worry and said that i would drop him till his house. On the way we discussed the poor government medical facilities in India and what we should do to improve them. Soon, we had crossed my place and were headed towards his residence. I again looked in the rear-view mirror and noticed that his daughter seemed to be lost in some deep thought. I asked him the name of his daughter and her age. He said her name was Anupriya and was six years old. In the meanwhile we reached his housing society and i stopped the car. He got out and again started thanking me profusely. I said not to worry and that it was every man's duty to help others. It was then that i noticed that there was no child with him and he was alone. He again thanked me for the return journey and said that without me it would have been much longer and lonely as he was returning after burying his daughter in the Cemetery as she had expired in the morning from the Cancer and walked away......
