Life – “a compromise” for Survival

All of us have read lot of success stories but here is a story of a batch topper of ahmedabad university.
Couple of weeks ago, I have seen this guy for the first time. A rickshaw puller by profession, but thrice my age and experience in this shit hole (life). I asked him “IFFCO Chowk”(referring to my destination) he replied back 20 bucks, I accepted the deal and sat on the passenger seat. Suddenly he stopped looked at his rickshaw wheel and said “bad luck its pumchured”.
Today, I happened to see him again and decided to take his rickshaw as he missed out on the 20 bucks last time. (of late I stopped taking rickshaws) but today I wanted to take it for helping the poor guy. I asked him the same question he didn’t say 20 bucks this time around perhaps he recognized me, but he said that the road was miserable because of the overnight rain. I sat on the rickshaw and we set off to IFFCO. It takes 20 minutes to reach my destination from my office. I never knew 20 minutes are enough to know a person and also to feel sympathetic for him. He took the initiative and asked me couple of questions, he was surprised by the fact that I was working in an MNC and didn’t own a bike for myself. I told him that I was a student getting trained at my workplace, he replies back saying “we all are students till death” in fluent English I was shocked that he knew such good English. He continued “you learn a lot from life don’t stop learning as you never know what life has in store for you”. He introduced himself and then said “Batch topper 1961 batch Ahmedabad university” I was shocked he later explained why he was pulling a rickshaw about how he had to toil for his lifetime as his father expired at a young age leaving him with loads of responsibility on his young shoulders. His son was everything for him, he worked a lot and made him a software engineer, but he was perhaps the most unfortunate father “his son expired of an epidemic”. Then he has decided to give up in life he has given away all his property to an orphanage and now he lives on the platform pulling a rickshaw. He made a very interesting (rather disgusting) point about gurgaon “the city might look great with so many towers all around but the people are sick bastards they have no heart and no manners, someone stole my pair of clothes now I am left with only this one”. He was wearing a green t-shirt which no more was green full of stains on it and half torn. I could see his voice broke when he was saying that and then continued “I pull the rickshaw for my survival I have no relations in this world, god bless you son, and may you have the best life ever” with a heavy heart I opened my not so heavy valet and gave him 50 bucks and left the place. Throughout the 20 minute journey I was guilty of making a man who is of thrice my age to pull my weight, I could figure out from the speed that he was in immense pain. But the smile on his face when I gave him the 50 bucks note was satisfying though it didn’t make me feel less guilty but it at least didn’t make me feel worse.

“if he wanted he could have spent rest of his life peacefully with his property, he donated his money and now he is undergoing all the hardships, perhaps he has decided that his purpose of survival on this earth, is to undergo hardships, perhaps he felt god has made him for this purpose, he also must be blaming it on his previous birth” -those were the thoughts that were running through my head on my way back home.