I was just sitting at cafe outside of my apartment. It was the very same place where I used to hang out with my friends during college life. We were gang of 7 friends from same city and school living together. Today after attending the training I just thought of having conversation with them. So I just called one of them and then end up having conference call with all of them. That cafe guy also knew all of us as a gang so I also made him talk with group.
It was just 5 minute call but after that my mind was full of memories. How we fought to have one piece of pizza and sharing bill of with 20 bucks from each ones wallet and sometimes those few bucks to be hard to find in it.
At that moment, in cafe I was alone and few couples were hooked up in corners. Wallet was full but was not up to eating something like I wanted it during college life. Things change with time.
Suddenly a horde of kids entered into the garden. So basically this was open air cafe established on the highway so such incidents were not new for me or owner. They will roam around ...would tease couples and then owner will scold them and they will run away.
This time it was no different...they just started interacting or say bargaining with one of the couple and they were just looking for owner to break them away. Before anything like that happen I have called those notorious and what followed that was completely different experience. ...
Unlike the other days this group was not begging something they all were having that brush in hand for shoe polish and they were just asking if anyone wants to look smart with polished shoe. I was wearing sports shoes and one of them just spoke up the fact and they were up to leaving.
Suddenly....and even I don't know why....but I have asked one of them "Pizza khayega??"
The little guy looked towards his gang and I just said yeah not you alone. Offer is for your entire gang. They nodded in affirmation and I have ordered pizza for them. I was not feeling hungry so mean time I was just looking at them...recalling all the fun I have had with my group. I was basically feeling good. They were just about to finish and I have paid bucks to cafe owner for the food.
I was shocked when he the cafe guy refused to take bucks. He was like.."Bhaiya aapne to khaya hi nahi....paise kaise lu?" I reciprocated with "paise kya bachho se lega kya??.. le rakh le"
What he replied was surprise for me. He replied that "jaise aap ko achhha laga...waise muje bhi achha laga.....ye pizza meri aur se". It was more shocking for me because this was the same guy who used to scold such kids to shoo them away and....now he was refusing to take money for food they have consumed.
Just to recover from that shock ...I have tried to give that bucks to the gang of kids and now it was time for double shock. That bunch of notorious kids too refused to take that. The one whom I have approached first spoke up with wink of his eye "Phir kabhi dusre bachho ko pizza khila dena"
I was just trying to follow the rule from the training I have attended few days back "Make their day" and at the end when I left cafe, my mind was full of confusion.....
"Who has made whose day ?"
Let's not judge it because it was win win situation for all of us as all were happy at the end of incident. For me lesson I have learnt that day was more important.
