If you ask me personally what turns me on, I’d say people & their stories. There’s nothing more exciting than a person sharing their life stories. I love how their eyes lit up when they share about best parts of their lives and their wrinkles which smile during their narrations.
I’m a curious conversationalist and enjoy initiating a conversation with people, neighbors, strangers in bus, tram, metros or coffee table. Sharing stories of three men today who are pursuing their professions as their after-retirement plan! I recently met these three people at different places near my localities and couldn’t hold myself back from sharing their stories. Read on ?
Mr Singh & his shop
I grew up seeing this little shop in the corner of the street I live in. We use to visit this shop for candies and chips. The owner here is a very humble guy who ran this shop with his wife. The duo would sit all day long on a 15-16 hour long shift and would smile at every customer they would see. They would eat here, take a short nap in the afternoons and enjoyed their time together. We all got busy in our lives later and stopped visiting their shops since everything is now available online on a click of a button.
It was only last month I realized that their shop was not operational at that place anymore. I saw a pile of debris instead. As I checked to find out what had happened and where the duo now was, someone told me they had moved 40kms away from that place since their old house was sold to someone else as they no more needed such a big house. Uncle however still have a small shop just 500 meters from here.
I was elated to find uncle’s shop back after a short search. As I spoke I discovered they had shifted their home because they could no longer afford the rental so they had to shift to a location far far away from main city. He leaves from his home at 6am for shop in a metro and returns back home only at 11pm. I asked why does he struggle so much at his age of 69, he asks me back – “Where is the struggle, I enjoy my journey while listening to old bollywood music, watching scenic beauty in the metro and sitting ideal at the shop and talking to customers, where is the struggle”
His outlook towards his life left me numb. Often we complain about our struggles of life, commute, timings, shifts or money. Probably he was correct, life is how you live it! What others may think as struggle can be your own happy journey its all about how you think about it yourself!
I never buy anything from that shop now, but not even a single day I cross him and not say hello. While he still offers a little candy everytime I visit him, I still blush considering I’m no more in the age of eating candies everyday lol
Mr Prem Bhatia & mother duo – The Yoga Experts
Prem Bhatiya ji is 70 years old. His mother is 98. They practice yoga everyday. Without a fail.
In fact he is celebrating 25years of teaching yoga in East Delhi today. He hasn’t charged a penny in past 25years from his sadhaks and has touched lives of masses in more than one ways. He does this in a small community center right opposite to his park. Not just Yoga, after the hour long class, he would sit with his ‘students’ and would hear their stories – about how someone is upset with their mother in law, how someone cant clear his exam or how the old guy no more feel loved. He doesn’t really recommend a lot to them, just listens. Probably that is what works for most of them. Don’t we kind of often just miss telling things to someone without being judged? That’s him – the curious listener.
His only objective in life is to make people’s life healthy and make them aware about simple changes they can do in their lifestyle to make everyday a little better. What a self motivated happy energetic soul this guy is. His command over English and scientific logics behind little things will leave you amazed. My dad has been in awe of him since a long time. Now that I have visited them last week, I know the reason of my dad’s affection to them now!
Mr Rajinder – The unsung hero
I barely knew that there is a man who lives alone in house no 115 of our colony. I thought this house has stayed empty for long and there are just no takers to it. Until my dad asked me to visit Mr Arora one day to deliver some groceries to him as he wasn’t feeling very well that day. Surprised (and curious) about the fact that someone really lived there and I had no idea I reached to this gentelman’s doorstep.
A fair man in late 60s held the door wide open and welcomed me inside. He asked me for tea and I coudnt refuse. Later I learned he was asking me to make tea for both of us ? Even sweeter. He told me how his children live in America after their son did his graduation in international business and found a family outside only. He says he doesn’t miss his kids really because now he has a family of his own here.
He spend his days at nearby school for the specially abled, teaching kids ways to earn a living. The school doesn’t really pay him much but spending his days at the school keeps him active, healthy and purposeful – he says. He showed me some of handicrafts made by the kids. A few jute bags for carrying office laptop and some bed linen cushion covers.
I came back home thinking how many of us usually take out time to find ways of reliving our lost hobbies passions or think about ways to making ourselves productive and resourceful?
Whats your neighborhood story ? I’ll keep collecting and sharing more of such discoveries about shops, places and people here. Look forward to reading yours!
Cheers!
