The Act Of Kindness

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An old post from the diary,

Today Sravani and Kavita, two of my best friends in class gave a surprise visit to my hostel. So, we decided to go for a bicycle trip from Boys' Hostel to the Girls' Hostel and started to discuss our project's progress. And as we started to paddle, the street lights went off probably due to some electricity issue. On the way, down the slope, just before the hospital, I noticed a boy walking in the middle of the road where cars were dangerously passing with just a little distance from his sides. He was holding his cellphone with flash pointing onto the road. I found it really strange. I passed by his side while observing closely. He was looking on the road with the flashlight. But what caught my attention was that he was not walking straight, little left then little right but still in the middle of the road.

I stopped.

"What happened?" Sravani asked.

"Why he is walking in the middle of the road?" I said to them, "This is strange, Is he fine or what! He can get hit by the cars!"

"He can't be blind as he is looking on the road with flashlight!" I said again, still observing him.

"Maybe he is searching for something, Sravani said in doubt.

"Shall we ask him if needs help?" I was perplexed, to ask or not to ask.

"What if he's perfectly fine and minds us asking?" I said to myself.

"Let's go and ask!" Sravani said firmly while Kavita and I were still off our saddles with feet down.

She straight away paddled back and asked him.

"Chettttaaaa!" She called me. Chetta means elder brother in Malayalam :) She uses this word not only to acknowledge me as her brother but also as my name with 'n' silent :p [Well, there's a small story behind her calling me as Chetta; will write about that some other day :) ]

So, Kavita and I went back to them. Sravani started some random discussion with him and exclaimed with joy when she found him also to be from Andhra.

"He is Chetta," She introduced me to him, "And, she's Kavita!"

"And, Chetta, he is ______,"  [Let his identity remain hidden on my blog]

So, like every South-Indian, Sravani and that guy started talking in foreign language, I love watching Telugu movies but Telugu was still a foreign language, though I could at least make out what they were talking about- places in Andhra, hehehe...Anyway, we proceeded towards the Boys' hostel, escorting that 'strange' boy.

As we moved up the slope, electricity came and the beautiful IIT road was lighted again...

"I can go myself now, thanks!" He said to Sravani.

"Are you sure, we can walk till hostel" Sravani asked back.

"Yes, light is back, I can see now so I will go myself," He replied.

"Okay ______, have a goodnight, byeee" Sravani exclaimed and we also bid him bye.

"What was...that!" I asked her curiously.

"He was night-blinded, you know!" She said, "That's why he was looking down on road."

"Oh!" Kavita and I said unanimously in reaction.

"But why were you talking to him like that," I asked.

"See, I was talking loudly (and laughingly) in order to him to cheer him up so that he wouldn't feel as if he needed help and would feel like talking with a friend." She said.

"Such a wise lady you are, Sravani! Huh!" I said in amazement. And we started to paddle towards Girls' Hostel...

Lastly, what I feel from this incident is, that one should act like Sravani, not like me...

"When you see someone in need, do not think! Act!"