Small act of kindness I will never forget

 Almost seven years back, I was at Berhampur. I had just arrived for a friend's book launch. As you all know, a considerable chunk of Telugu people are there, as it is a neighboring state. I have taken a room near the railway station.

 The program is scheduled for the next morning. So, I have leisure time in the evening. I decided to take a guided tour of the town. The railway station in Berhampur is adorned with artistic walls that depict local luminaries and folklore details. Kept watching bit by bit with enthusiasm.

 I have taken some refreshments too. I also enjoyed reading local English publications.  Oriya people who write in their vernacular language also mostly write beautiful English. I understood it by going through several Oriyan writers. I also gained insight from reading local English publications.

They have created towering bilingual authors like Manoj Das, Sitakanta Mahapatra, and Jayanta Mahapatra, and so on. But the Oriya people are down to earth and not boastful of their greatness, as I discerned about things there. 

My respect has increased more with one particular incident. I checked my wallet to buy a book at the station. My heart started pounding. There was no wallet in my pocket, and I found it missing elsewhere. But I certainly missed my wallet at the station; there must have been skillful pickpockets around here.

 All of a sudden, my judgment changed about the state. Deep down somewhere, my conscience was warning me against my unguarded thoughts. Helplessly lingering around the ticket counter.

A young person, who could be 20 years of age or older, approached me and asked whether I had lost my wallet. I said yes and gave some details about the wallet contained in it. He told me that it was found on the floor while he was having tea, and fortunately, he was the first one to see it. 

My happiness knows no bounds. He handed me the wallet and refused the amount when I tried to give it to him. It may have been a small act of kindness for him, but I was filled with immense joy, and I will never forget it in my life.  

Link submitted to BlogchatterHalfMarathon-2025