Sudha Murty's Narrative of Compassion and Transformation
Sudha Murty, chairperson of Infosys Foundation and author, is known for her ability to glean interesting stories from the lives of ordinary people and weave these narratives into a unique blend of anecdote and fable.
Her latest collection of stories, 'The Day I Stopped Drinking Milk', features a fascinating cast of characters, each of whom made an indelible impression on the author. Extracted here is a nugget from 'Bombay to Bangalore', one of the most heartwarming stories in this collection:
It was the beginning of summer. I was boarding Udyan Express at Gulbarga railway station with Bangalore as my destination. As I boarded the train, I noticed that the second-class reserved compartment was jam-packed with people. I sat down and was pushed to the corner of the berth. Although meant for three people, there were already six of us sitting on it...
The ticket collector came in and started checking people's tickets and reservations. Suddenly, he looked in my direction and asked, 'What about your ticket?' I replied, 'I have already shown my ticket to you.'
'Not you, madam, the girl hiding below your berth. Hey, come out, where is your ticket?' I realized that someone was sitting below my berth. When the collector yelled at her, the girl came out of hiding.
She was thin, dark, scared, and looked like she had been crying profusely. She appeared to be about thirteen or fourteen years old. With uncombed hair and dressed in a torn skirt and blouse, she was trembling and folded both her hands. The collector started forcibly pulling her out from the compartment. Suddenly, I had a strange feeling. I stood up and called out to the collector, 'Sir, I will pay for her ticket.'
Then he looked at me and said, 'Madam, if you give her ten rupees, she will be much happier with that than with the ticket.'
Ignoring his suggestion, I asked the collector to provide me with a ticket to the last destination, Bangalore, so that the girl could disembark wherever she desired.
As we reached Bangalore, I bid farewell to Chitra and alighted from the train. My driver picked up my bags, and as I felt someone watching me, I turned back to see Chitra standing there, looking at me with sad eyes. Despite feeling compassionate and having paid for her ticket, I had not anticipated that she would become my responsibility.
I invited her to get into my car, surprising my driver, and directed him to take us to my friend Ram's place. Ram managed separate shelter homes for boys and girls, supported financially by Infosys Foundation. I believed Chitra could stay there temporarily, and we could discuss her future upon my return from tours.
I was uncertain if Chitra would still be there, but to my pleasant surprise, I found her looking much happier. Ram suggested enrolling Chitra in a nearby high school, an idea I readily supported, offering to sponsor her expenses for as long as she continued her studies. Leaving the shelter, I felt reassured knowing that Chitra had found a new home and direction in her life.
Despite my busy schedule reducing my visits to the shelter to once a year, I always inquired about Chitra's well-being over the phone. I learned of her academic success and offered to sponsor her college studies, to which she declined, expressing her desire to pursue a diploma in computer science for immediate job opportunities. Chitra excelled in her studies, securing a job as an assistant testing engineer in a software company. When she received her first salary, she visited my office with a sari and a box of sweets.
During my time in Delhi, I received a call from Chitra, jubilant about her company sending her to the USA. She expressed her wish to meet me for blessings, highlighting her progress and success.
Years passed, and sporadic emails from Chitra informed me of her thriving career across various cities in the USA. I silently prayed for her eternal happiness wherever life took her.
Years later, while delivering a lecture in San Francisco for Kannada Koota, an organization uniting Kannada-speaking families, I encountered a heartwarming surprise. Chitra had settled my hotel bill, embodying the transformation she had undergone. Overwhelmed by her gesture and radiant presence, I was immensely pleased to witness Chitra's prosperous journey. As she explained her act of kindness, tears welled up, and she emotionally revealed, 'Because you paid for my ticket from Bombay to Bangalore!'
Regards
From India, Visakhapatnam
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Sudha Murty, chairperson of Infosys Foundation and author, is known for her ability to glean interesting stories from the lives of ordinary people and weave these narratives into a unique blend of anecdote and fable.
Her latest collection of stories, 'The Day I Stopped Drinking Milk', features a fascinating cast of characters, each of whom made an indelible impression on the author. Extracted here is a nugget from 'Bombay to Bangalore', one of the most heartwarming stories in this collection:
It was the beginning of summer. I was boarding Udyan Express at Gulbarga railway station with Bangalore as my destination. As I boarded the train, I noticed that the second-class reserved compartment was jam-packed with people. I sat down and was pushed to the corner of the berth. Although meant for three people, there were already six of us sitting on it...
The ticket collector came in and started checking people's tickets and reservations. Suddenly, he looked in my direction and asked, 'What about your ticket?' I replied, 'I have already shown my ticket to you.'
'Not you, madam, the girl hiding below your berth. Hey, come out, where is your ticket?' I realized that someone was sitting below my berth. When the collector yelled at her, the girl came out of hiding.
She was thin, dark, scared, and looked like she had been crying profusely. She appeared to be about thirteen or fourteen years old. With uncombed hair and dressed in a torn skirt and blouse, she was trembling and folded both her hands. The collector started forcibly pulling her out from the compartment. Suddenly, I had a strange feeling. I stood up and called out to the collector, 'Sir, I will pay for her ticket.'
Then he looked at me and said, 'Madam, if you give her ten rupees, she will be much happier with that than with the ticket.'
Ignoring his suggestion, I asked the collector to provide me with a ticket to the last destination, Bangalore, so that the girl could disembark wherever she desired.
As we reached Bangalore, I bid farewell to Chitra and alighted from the train. My driver picked up my bags, and as I felt someone watching me, I turned back to see Chitra standing there, looking at me with sad eyes. Despite feeling compassionate and having paid for her ticket, I had not anticipated that she would become my responsibility.
I invited her to get into my car, surprising my driver, and directed him to take us to my friend Ram's place. Ram managed separate shelter homes for boys and girls, supported financially by Infosys Foundation. I believed Chitra could stay there temporarily, and we could discuss her future upon my return from tours.
I was uncertain if Chitra would still be there, but to my pleasant surprise, I found her looking much happier. Ram suggested enrolling Chitra in a nearby high school, an idea I readily supported, offering to sponsor her expenses for as long as she continued her studies. Leaving the shelter, I felt reassured knowing that Chitra had found a new home and direction in her life.
Despite my busy schedule reducing my visits to the shelter to once a year, I always inquired about Chitra's well-being over the phone. I learned of her academic success and offered to sponsor her college studies, to which she declined, expressing her desire to pursue a diploma in computer science for immediate job opportunities. Chitra excelled in her studies, securing a job as an assistant testing engineer in a software company. When she received her first salary, she visited my office with a sari and a box of sweets.
During my time in Delhi, I received a call from Chitra, jubilant about her company sending her to the USA. She expressed her wish to meet me for blessings, highlighting her progress and success.
Years passed, and sporadic emails from Chitra informed me of her thriving career across various cities in the USA. I silently prayed for her eternal happiness wherever life took her.
Years later, while delivering a lecture in San Francisco for Kannada Koota, an organization uniting Kannada-speaking families, I encountered a heartwarming surprise. Chitra had settled my hotel bill, embodying the transformation she had undergone. Overwhelmed by her gesture and radiant presence, I was immensely pleased to witness Chitra's prosperous journey. As she explained her act of kindness, tears welled up, and she emotionally revealed, 'Because you paid for my ticket from Bombay to Bangalore!'
Regards
From India, Visakhapatnam
Acknowledge(0)Amend(0)
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