Story of a old Sampa Ben
One of my favorite things to do during my time at the institute in Ahmedabad was to wander around the city. One hot summer afternoon, feeling upset about something, I took my motorcycle out for a ride towards the outer ring road in the south of the city. I was lost in deep thought, pondering why everything seemed to be going wrong for me, feeling like I was the unluckiest, stupidest, and most unsupported person. As I was driving slowly, I suddenly noticed a woman sitting on the side of the rough, dusty road in the scorching heat. Her face was dull, and it was clear that she hadn’t eaten anything for days. My first instinct was to leave her there and continue on my way. However, the image of her face continued to haunt me, and I couldn’t shake the feeling of wanting to know more about her situation.
As I continued driving, I crossed the “Shilaj Crossing” and headed towards “Thol Lake” on the state highway. After about 15 minutes, I arrived at a village about 1.5 km from the highway. The village had homes made of concrete walls as well as homes made of weed and mud. Only a few people were visible in front of the homes made of weed, but they seemed happy. I stopped near a bore well, and a small group of children playing nearby offered me water. I asked them, “अरे आप लोग कुवेन का पानी पीते हो ?”. One of them told me “હા” (Gujarati word for yes). I hesitated to drink it at first but then decided to drink it since they were all drinking it too. After talking with the children for a while, I suddenly remembered the woman I had seen on the side of the highway and decided to go back and check on her. I saw that the old lady was still there and in the same place. I went there and ask. “आम्माजी आप क्यूँ ऐसे बैठे हो? और क्या हुआ ?” I repeated my question several times but noticed that each time I asked, she would alternate her gaze between me and the busy highway. I couldn’t comprehend why she was doing this and began to wonder if she was having difficulty understanding me. At that moment, a man was present, and I inquired about her behavior.
The man shared an incredibly touching story with me that I believe will resonate with you. It’s my sincere hope that, in the future, whenever you start to feel like the most miserable or unsuccessful person in the world, you’ll remember that there are others who are even more unhappy and living in far worse conditions. Despite their circumstances, they find joy and contentment in their lives in their own unique ways. Upon hearing the story, I was utterly astounded and found myself questioning its veracity. According to the man, the woman in question resided in a village located approximately 5 kilometers from the highway. Despite this considerable distance, she made the journey every single day just to see her husband and son. (Allow me to recount the story in the speaker’s own words.)
“Sampa Ben resided in a village with her husband and son Aniket, struggling to make ends meet due to their financial limitations. Despite their circumstances, they managed to find happiness in their lives. Their small farm in the village was not very fertile, and Sampa Ben’s husband worked tirelessly in the fields to provide for the family. In addition to this, Sampa Ben worked at the neighbors’ homes. They dedicated almost all their income towards Aniket’s education, as he was a driven and ambitious child who gave them hope for a better future. After graduating, Aniket pursued his master’s degree in a big city far from Ahmedabad, and his parents supported him by sending money regularly to cover his expenses. As time passed, his financial needs grew, and his parents went to great lengths to support him, taking loans and even selling their land. However, after five to seven years, Aniket began to ignore his parents and eventually severed ties with them. Despite this, Sampa Ben and her husband held onto the hope that their son would return and resolve all their problems, but he never did.
As I observed, tears welled up in the man’s eyes. After a brief pause, he said, “Brother, I can’t say anything more now.” Despite this, I asked him to tell me more about Sampa Ben, her husband, and their village. Eventually, he shared something with me, which I will now describe in my own words. The man revealed that a few years back, Sampa Ben’s husband lost his field and all hope of their son returning, so he started going to Ahmedabad for work. One day, while he was returning from work on foot along Sindhu Bhavan Road, a car hit him and he lost a leg. The driver of the car faced no consequences. After the accident, Sampa Ben and her husband were left stranded and without any means of support. They were alone, and hopeless, and only survived with the help of their neighbors. Sampa Ben also suffered from asthma and continued to work despite her illness. Despite their difficult circumstances, they held onto hope that their son would return. However, he never did. Their plight was eventually publicized in a newspaper, and some government officials and politicians offered them false promises of assistance. A few kind-hearted individuals provided them with some money and rations. However, the best thing that happened to them was when they received a tricycle that allowed them to move around more easily.
After a few days, everyone forgot about them, and none of the government officials or politicians came to their aid. Imagine being in such a situation — having everything but no hope for life, no reason to live (as was the case when generous people gave them money and rations), or having nothing but still having to live to support someone else. The old man chose the latter. As time passed, Sampa Ben fell ill with several diseases and was unable to do anything. So the old man started going to the city every day with his tricycle to beg for money. Then, one day, her husband disappeared, which drove Sampa Ben almost insane. Despite this, she came to the city every day in the hope that her son or husband would return.
Consider your current situation. Is it good, or worse than the one in this story? This tale teaches us that no one is completely happy. If you have excessive desires or expectations in life, you will inevitably experience unhappiness. Even minor setbacks may lead you to believe that you are one of the world’s least successful individuals and that you have no support.
“Your smile will give you a positive countenance that will make people feel comfortable around you.”
— Les Brown
https://sites.google.com/view/aruncosmo/few-blog-posts?authuser=0#h.o356z2y75unk
