CHACHA CHACHI !
CHACHA CHACHI !
Have you ever
walked on a floor just mopped by a worker? Have you ever unwrapped a magic cone
ice cream while walking on the streets along with your friends? Have you ever
thrown a Kurkure packet out of the car window? To be honest, we all have done
the above things either intentionally or unintentionally. During the process of
the above action, the reactions were recorded by some eyes. These were the eyes
of a worker or let’s say a laborer whose rag picking schedule starts at 6 am in
the morning and don’t know when it ends. But we never paid much heed to their unconditional
hard work and moved forward. In this rat race of 21st century, there
are some people to whom we are neglecting and taking for granted. Imagine a
day, you wake up in the morning and you are unable to find your newspaper.
Then, you go to the kitchen and another fact which is revealed that you don’t
have milk since the guy is on a holiday. The day will go on a troll if these
petty people start taking sudden leaves. Yes, for sure!
Why can’t we pass
on a SMILE? It only takes a second and burns four calories!
There was this Mallu
Cab Driver who dropped us on Fort Kochi
on Sunday and it took me a minute to change his hectic mood by asking him, “Sir, have you seen any Bollywood movie?” and
then his over enthusiastic response was, “ Yeaaahhh, many…Dil Waale Dulhaniya Le
Jayeinge Kyuki Kabhi Khushi Gham then Kuch Kuch Hota Hai.” Throughout the
journey, we were discussing the blockbusters of the Bacchan and the Khans. That’s a personal habit of mine and I like to learn new
things by giving a friendly smile.
Striking up a conversation about their
work and the different experiences they have had will surely develop you as a
better human being. So, it's a more of a hobby for me. I do think, if someone
shows a genuine interest in the person’s work, the other person does feel a lot
more important.
There’s a true story of Bodh Dorjee and his wife Chandra who are inevitably the first
non-locals barring Border Road Organization workers, who clear the snow-covered
passes in May to arrive at the desolate Lahaul
and Spiti in Himachal Pradesh. They
are in their mid-50s and they run Batal's Chandra Dhaba for
four months, serving food and arranging accommodation for travelers till the
dreary winter renders the region inaccessible for eight months. It’s a helpful
dhaba where the travelers are welcomed by this old couple who are known as “Chacha
Chachi”. So without even an ounce of permanent human habitation within 100 km, the
couple believe in accommodating and feeding people for a couple of months,
challenging the hostile terrain, unpredictable weather and dilapidated roads
which are a dangerous mix for the tourists.
For them, Chacha and Chachi are a godsend. They are
not money-minded people; they are THE HIDDEN PEARLS OF INDIA.
My last bike trip
made me realize the worth of a 40 rupees
hot Maggie on chilly mountains and a 10
rupees Tea which was soothing for a hoarse throat. When I asked him, “Sir, can I make tea?” There was a smile with shyness. These are those people who do not just serve food in
an area where phone signals cannot even think of passing by and moreover, they
even help the travelers who are in trouble. Then, I thought about their
profit percentage in those conditions which truly amazed me, apart from their
kind hearted attitude.
Many a times, I have experienced people not behaving well to the workers,
plumbers, sweepers etc. It is a common practice in Indian households to not
respect them for their engaging hours. People don't even care to ask for a
glass of water, considering them as untouchables. Some people have a separate
glass for the laborers which they tend to wash as if it is highly contaminated
by a virus. They don’t know that their
complimentary smile can bridge a long gap within seconds which will
surely make them feel proud about their work. You
give RESPECT to earn RESPECT. Hence, respecting such individuals of the society will
never harm our dignity. In fact, it will help us gaining more.
At last but not the
least, I guess it is apt to call them ‘Chacha’
or ‘Chachi’. These are some Special Well Wishers which are an integral part of our community and their work should
not be compared as a social service. These six letters can change a strange
relation into a friendly one with a SMILE in return.
These are those few people who will perhaps save you when no one will or no one
can. So they got a special berth in our lives. People have a question that ‘Is Honesty still the best policy?’ Use your magic words and you will get to
know the difference. Pass on the smiles. Its
tax free and is going high in demand!
Nice. :-)
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