Simrita & Samarth are married to each other for the last four years now, both being working couples have split all the responsibilities equally. It is now a weekly practice that they both go for greengrocery shopping together to update their stock for the rest of the week. They came back home after shopping and as a ritual, they were washing vegetables and fruits before refrigerating them, by now they both became an expert at managing everything. Cooking being her hobby, she has developed a knack for buying fresh and best quality fruits or vegetables and he always helped in carrying them. By looking at the mangoes her mother-in-law commented how come you sometimes completely miss it, the mangoes do not seem fresh at all. Hearing this she smiled at her and said they are just finishing off the washing and she will tell her about it. However, Samarth got excited to share the story with his mother.
Samarth: Mother you will be so proud of your daughter-in-law once you hear the story. This was her way of charity.
Mother: Charity but how? can you elaborate. And, is not it that in charity we offer fresh fruits to people. Did you guys receive them at huge discounts?
Samarth: No mother, they are only marginally discounted and the reason Simrita bought these mangoes was because this vendor was not doing good off lately.
(Now Simrita has also joined them, Samarth hinted her to continue with the story)
Simrita: Usually, we see that these vendors distribute the whole of their lots according to the quality of the product, the better the quality the higher the rates and, vice versa. However, this vendor had all the mangoes of a similar type either stale or about to stale. I often buy fruits from him so this time looking at the quality of the mango I enquired why have he bought all sub-graded quality Mangoes. To which his reply was really disturbing, he said Didi, I only had Rs 600 to start with and this is the best I could fetch from the wholesale market with that kind of money. Out of concern, I asked why only Rs 600? This time with teary eyes he replied that last week when he was going back after finishing his business in the weekly market, some goons attacked him and snatched all his money. They even stole his phone now he took a loan from the market and this is all he could manage for today.
Samarth interrupted to add, and Mother as you know Simrita, hearing this story her heart melted and she decided to buy mangoes from him. Later, on our way back home I asked her why she bought those mangoes. She replied Samarth with Rs 600 those mangoes were his only hope to feed his kids.
Simrita: You know what mom; Samarth stopped the car at “Kali Temple to distribute the mangoes to little kids sitting outside the temple. He also, ensured that he bring some of them home to remind us to be more kind towards others.
After listening to the story the mother patted Simrita’s back and prayed that everyone shall become more human-like her Daughter-in-law and Son. She said in the future, she will be more careful to understand the stories behind and she will try not to ignore the hard work of so many vegetable vendors and show more compassion towards them.
End of story.
Moral: The next time you go out shopping do not just see but observe and try to be humbler towards others.