If some one reads just Indian News Papers, just Indian English News Channels and English Movie channals, one may not beleive that the concept of good samaritan exists o
nly in western English speaking world, but not in India. Here In India, everyone is trying to cheat each other and trust on other fellow Indians are absolutely non existant. The chain that binds a mug in toilet in Indian trains, glass that is tied to wall in any free water dispensing machines are example which says, Indians do can not be trusted, may steal even these useful things for public. While most probably, purpose of them tying was to keep them falling over.
For last few days, i had veen teavelling with few money in my pocket and mostly using using public trabsport system like buses, shared auto.
I was in Reliance Greens, arguably the best industrial township in India and at par with any modern town in the world with all modern amenities. I had a train to catch from Jamnagar railway station at 12pm and i was waiting for shuttle service at sector 17 bus stand in reliance greens.
Reliance Greens has shuttle service inaide township to ferry people from their homes to shops inside the township or drop at them outside the township. Also it provides shopping bus service for its employeea and family members that go to Jamnagar, nearest city.
As I was waitong for shuttle service at 10am, and time passing but no shuttle service in sight. With each passing minute, i was getting more and more restless and wondering what to do. Then i saw a guy who was also their waitong for shuttle, who seemed to have just woken up from sleep. He was observing me. Then a shuttle came and i waved it to stop and it did not. I almost shouted a profanity.
The guy became sympathetic and offered to explain, some shuttle go outside and some inside. That was to go outside. I replied almost harshly that i am going outside and the luggages suggest the same. That shuttle should have at least asked me.
That guy then told, are you going to Jamnagar ?
I replied yes.
Then he said, why dont you take the shopping bua to jamnagar. I replied, but i am not reliance employee and will they allow me?
Ohh, dont worry about that, i will give you a pass ticket, free of cost and you can use that.
Oh, thank you very much, is it free ?
Dont worry, its free for you.
Then wheb i sawthe cost printed on that ticket of rs. 10, the bus came. So i had to move fast with my luggages to board the bus. That guy asked driver to take me and drop me near station. The bus started I could not even say gopd bye and told gratitude to him.
I reached station in time. One may think, ita not big deal, but let me explain now.
I was carrying a suitcase, weighing approx 16kgs, a camera bag weighing 10 kgs, with laptop, chargers, camera, a heavy 150-500mm lens. Only five minutesSago, Ola cab sent me message my booking was cancelled and i was left hugh and dry. I had only two options, take the shuttle setvice from sector 18 where i was staying and reach main gate, take a bus/auto and try to reach railway station at jamnagar. And i was running out of time. Train deparrure time was 12:10pm and i was in my room 10Am. And jamnagar station is approx 35Km from there.
If i dont get shuttle service asap, i have to walk to main gate, lugging my luggage, walk 1.5km. Difficult thing to do carrying 26kgs of weight and i would have taken at least 30 mins to cover the distance, may be more. There was no timing fixed for ahuttle service, but the bus had, 10:15am.
So, either way, chances of missing train was high and it would have cost me at least rs. 1000 rs, by auto or car and I wont have risked travellig by bus to catch a train.
So, thanks to that good samaritan, I not only travelled to Jamnagar free of cost, also well in time. As this bus does not stop anywhere, exclusive for reliance greens citizens.
My sincere thanks to that peraon, whom I never met and unlikely that i wil ever meet. Thanks to him and his small help, i can safely say,good samaritan does exist in India.
I have many other stories where I have been helped in many dire situations, but i thought its time for mw.to docuemnt them and start thanking them here. If they ever reafld this and remember of their good deed, i hope they will be pleased.