Receive With Ease

Our discomfort with receiving gifts, compliments, help, and hospitality is an indicator of how we view ourselves

- Neha Gupta Lehl

I was late by 15 minutes for the allimportant appointment, and the auto rickshaw dropped me at a spot farther from my intended destination.

Worrying about getting late for my appointment, I was trying to pay the exact fare to the auto rickshaw driver, and getting very frazzled. Rummaging through my purse, the contents of which resembled a full cupboard, I came up with the amount minus ten rupees. Apart from that I had only Rs 2,000 note, for which the auto driver did not have any change. Hassle, hassle. I was beginning to get more flustered. Suddenly, I felt a presence and looked up. An old gentleman clad in simple cotton pant and shirt, wearing thick glasses, and walking with a stick, was coming towards the auto. He stood there and waited patiently. Then he moved a few steps away in indecision and stopped again. I realised, he wanted to hire the auto rickshaw. I handed a crumpled mess of ₹10 notes, and a few coins to the auto driver, and hurriedly got off to make way for the old man. The fare was still short by ten rupees. I was still raking my purse, hoping for a miracle appearance of another ten rupees note.

Suddenly I heard a warm, practical and understanding voice, “Let me pay that ten rupees, I have change.”

The old man had seated himself in the rickshaw by now and was pulling out the needed note.

I said, “Wait, wait, I may just have it!”