Hundred Happy things : The Power of Dreams

As promised, I woke up this morning with the determination to write for this new thread. There was an incident playing at the back of my mind since last few days and I wanted it to be the opener.

There is a middle tier vegetable vendor in my society market. Now if you are residing or have resided in India, and I am not counting the tourists in, you would know what I am talking about. This guy has a fixed place to operate, a land line telephone connection which helps him home delivering the orders and customised bills which he uses more as a visiting card than for its usual purpose. No, he does not go out handing it over to people on street, he just hands over one if you would want to order something over phone the next time.  

We have all heard our share of stories to know that he is not really going through a financial crisis of any sort. And we know better than to look down at people like these. After all, at times their daily income is much more than what we earn sitting in air conditioned offices. So if you are looking for a rags to riches story, you can close the tab now. This is going to be a simple one about dreams.

My earlier resolution to be nice to people paid off well and I was in good terms with this guy. As much as, when everyone else was refused a dose of free "dhaniya mirchi" (chillies and coriander herbs), I was getting it without even asking. Now if you have ever bought your greens yourself in local grocery stores, you know how big a deal it is.

One evening when I went to get my usual supplies, I felt that this guy wanted to say something but was a bit hesitant. The usual chirpy fellow who had a view about anything ranging from cyclone HudHud to the effect of bottling plants on local vendors was awkwardly talkative that day. I just had to probe him saying "aur bhaiya, baki sab thik thak?" (how is everything going brother) and he spilled the beans. He wanted me to talk to his son who is appearing for CS exams. If you don't know it yet, Company Secretary exam is a big deal even now. He wanted me to convey my good wishes and "ashirwad" (blessings) to his son. And for a moment, I was taken aback. Not because his son had quite effortlessly cleared the first level of the exams and now will be appearing for second level knowing well that he will clear it too. I was stunned to be considered worthy of blessing a kid who is doing way better in academics than I did. When I found my speech back, I just asked him to dial the number. He was already on his toes and I had the receiver the next minute. I conveyed all the good wishes to the kid and told him to get in touch if he ever needs any help. after keeping the phone down, I saw two pair of glistening eyes. The assistant of the shop was also there and he was the first one to register that there was another customer waiting at the counter. the spell was broken in a way. And thank goodness for that.

I asked the vendor about his son. Apart from all the facts about ensuring that his kids get the best education, what touched me most was the passion with which this guy dreamt about future. He wants his son to be a respectable man. And he wants his son to inspire his daughter to be an ambitious lady. He has no regret for not getting a proper education as long as he is able to provide the kids with one. As most of the men around, he is not dreaming of marrying off his daughter. He wants her to find her calling too. And from the people whom he thinks are doing well, he is just looking for blessings for his kids.

In that moment, all sense of accomplishment, if ever I had any, was lost. I have read many stories about how people from lower strata of the society top most of the prestigious exams of the country. May be that is the beauty of our system. But this post is not about system. It is about that one individual who dared to dream. And who is going to touch more lives than he actually intended to. It's not just about his family anymore. He is going the empower the next generation.

The sparkle I saw in his eyes would one day be the lamps which enlighten not just a house, but a whole generation.

Amen!