Seat Wale Baba

The Unavoidable is temporary, but the learning is lasting!!!
( The fifth Mountain, Paulo Cohelo)

Seat Wale Baba
Yesterday it was Sunday, so I thought why not meet up with my friends in Delhi. It had been ages since I had met them. They had started thinking that I have become some mendicant or left the world while serving this holy world.I got ready at 10:30am.After reaching the bus stand, caught a DTC bus for New Delhi Railway station.
Could not found anything raunchy in bus!!!
Bus was almost full!!!
No vacant seat for me, I felt a bit dejected, 45 minutes of journey & that too standing!!!
life sucks!!
Few eyes gazed me and mine explored the whole bus for some tonic for mysore eyes, but didn’t find anything worthy of it.

Suddenly an old man, around 65 or so, dressed in white kurta- pajamas with white Pagadi stood and offered me his seat. I was surprised to say the least, didn’t react for quite some time. ”puttar baith ja”[ sit down dear], he said again.
Being the well manner guy, I declined and said, “Arrey nahi uncle aap baitho”[ no need for it Sir, you sit ].
Conductor broke the conversation and said to me with a smile, “Bete baith jao, Yeh Seat wale baba hai, Inke paas hamesha dosro ke liye seat rehti hai” [Sit down dear, he is known as “Seat donor” in this route] and turned his face to the noble man.
I was entranced by the greatness of the person, I simply obeyed.
The person beside me further elaborated “He is traveling for 5 yrs on this route and in his presence nobody keeps standing in the bus number 713”.I was spellbound. No reaction could pay my regards to his greatness.( Its not heroic deeds that makes someone great. It is small gestures like this that speak volume about a persons character & that is what makes someone great. )
Now I was looking outside the window without any thought. I noticed the sound of some tape recorder now.
“Babu moshai”. Ohhh it is Anand Singhal, so it was the dialogues cassette of Anand movie, my favorite one.Coool!!
The driver had a good taste, hummm!!
So I was just enjoying the journey.
I was observing the view outside.. the market, tall buildings, broad roads, paced life.
Globalization has changed India too. Now poor also can think beyond bread at least.
But still I believe that it has not reduced the drift between the two, rich and poor. It is in fact widening.

As we were to leave Noida, bus stopped in front of an Engineering institution.
All eyes fixed were at the gate, mine too!!
1.., 2…ahha cool and finally 3 gals stepped in, so finally got something to keep mind and eyes cool in such an intense summer.
I was just enjoying God’s beautiful creation when suddenly the Seat wale baba, stood up again and made them seated.
Shit!!! These old people can never understand our emotions and needs!!
Oh God what sin have I done??? I felt a bit frustrated and wave of rage for the old, forgetting his kindness made just a moment ago.
Again looking outside, enjoying the sceneries.
“Mein ek ek pal marna nahi chahta”, recorder was still on. (Anand is one of the most touching movie i ever watched.)
As soon as our bus entered Delhi, I took a cursory glance inside the bus.
It was silent. Beauties were also missing.
The only person standing in the bus now was Seat wale baba. I again felt a feeling of respect for him.
I thought either he was suffering from some kind of psychological imbalance or he had gone through some tragedy; otherwise I hardly remembered seeing any person who treats other people and that too strangers so well.
I again turned my face to look at the passing by scenery.

Suddenly I felt a thrust and I took support tightly and tried to keep the balance but still collided with the front seat.
The driver had braked in full force. I watched outside, two children were running.
Shit yaar!!God saved them!!
Then I looked inside where the sound had increased suddenly.
Bus had stopped. The driver stood up at his seat. Conductor was yelling at him.
Near driver’s seat, I saw, Seat wale Baba lying. He had lost his balance probably.
The conductor said in a broken sound, “he is dead”.
!!!!!!!!???????
I was in a shock.
People were whispering among themselves.
Someone yelled, “He got head injury”.
Many had boarded in other buses to avoid any kind of trouble.
Few had gathered around the dead, still discussing on how to take him to hospital. I had not gained the momentum.
Two drops rolled down. The recorder was still on.
“Zindegi aur maut uparwale ke haath me hai Jahanpanah, use na to aap badal sakte hai na main. Hum sab to rangmanch ki kathputlia hai jinki dor uparwale ke haath me bandhi hai, kaun, kab, kaise, uthega koi nahi bata sakta.” [ Life and death are in HIS hands, noone can change them. We are just puppets, having our strings in HIS hands only. Who , how and when will be fectched up, noone can predict.]
The words kept echoing for a few minutes.
The oldie was dead but the world was at its pace and kept moving on, and will remain ever always, as it has always.