Inspirational and Motivational short stories Volume #4

This is a collection of inspiring and motivational short stories which I have posted on my Facebook page. Every story gives a distinctly positive message. Enjoy reading the volume #4 of this collection.

1.

How often do we see someone who has worked for incredible 72 years in one workplace? And what if we know that this person has served the global historical dignitaries like Lord Mountbatten, Princess Elizabeth, Emperor Hirohito, Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Richard Nixon?

Well, Kerala born Kottarapattu Chattu Kuttan, who started working as the doorman at the iconic Galle Face hotel in Sri Lanka, has achieved this feat. He started working there at a tender age of 18 years and worked till his last day. He died peacefully last week at the age of 94 years.

For some people, work is more than worship. They devote their lifetime for their work. The work gets truly honored by their dedication towards duty.

He is a true Karma Yogi in real sense. May his soul rest in peace.

If the hotel had life, it would have cried too... for it would never be able to locate another Kuttan.

We salute Kuttan and his passion for work.

2.

Preaching is always easier than practicing. Therefore, when we come across someone who practices what he preaches, automatically he commands respect and reverence from those around him. And if the subject under discussion is about the expenditure on marriages, then it acquires all the more importance, because marriages have been traditionally considered to be a once-in-a-lifetime affair where people do not mind spending their lifetime savings or even borrowing loans to maintain their ‘honor and dignity’ in the society.

Recently, H. Anjaneyulu, the social welfare minister of Karnataka surprised everyone by choosing a mass-wedding ceremony for the marriage of his daughter Anupama, instead of a lavish wedding extravaganza in a palatial venue. Along with her, 96 couples were married in a simple ceremony where the guests were served simple meal of Rice, Sambar and Payasam. She bought only a saree for the wedding. 

Anjaneyulu has indeed set new benchmark for the rich and powerful celebrities in India, by his exemplary behavior. How many people would dare to get their children married off in a mass-wedding ceremony? Very few.

Marriage is a very sacred ceremony, which unites two families. The focus should be on making the marriages successful by aligning the heart and mind of the couple, instead of showing off grandeur and pomposity in the marriage function.     

We congratulate Anjaneyulu for this audacious move and hope this inspires many powerful personalities in doing the same…!

3.

Which is more powerful? Our Karma or our Luck?

Many people would say that there is no such thing as luck. Everything depends on our deeds. We create our own destiny.

If that were so, how do we explain that a 28-day-old girl, Nithera Janardnanan has won US $ 39,000 in a raffle draw in the 20th Dubai shopping festival? Many people purchased the raffle ticket by looking at the ticket number, purchasing time and day, dropping the ticket in the box at a particular time etc.

She has not done any deeds as of now, other than just trying to understand this world, by looking at her parents and sleeping away most of her time.

In spite of their best efforts, there were times when Tendulkar got out on zero and Amitabh Bachchan had delivered a flop film.

So, there is something, which is beyond the deeds and efforts. Something, which is not controlled by us.

And that is called … luck.

4.

When Sunita from Manda village in Allahabad married Shyam Bahadur, she had dreams of living a life of honor and dignity. However, she was shocked to discover that her husband was a daily wage laborer working in a stone quarry. Her dreams were shattered.

Nevertheless, she realized that it was her life and if she wanted to improve it, she needed to do something about it. No one would have done it for her.

So, she started teaching in a private school. She spread awareness among the women of that village that basic education is very important in life. She believed that if every child should become a literate, so that he does not become another Shyam Bahadur, then the awareness must start from the mothers. 

Soon, she started educating the women of all ages in the village and achieved a cult status. The literacy improved in Manda with more and more women and children enrolling in various schools.

In the meantime, encouraged by her endeavors, her husband, Shaym Bahadur also competed his ITI and applied for a job in Tata Motors. His interview went on very well and he is expecting the offer letter anytime now.

Some spirited individuals have the power to change their destiny by overcoming all the obstacles and challenges, which life throws at them. Undoubtedly, Sunita belongs to that category. She is the real ‘Dabangg’ of Manda village.

Hats off to Sunita for her self-confidence, determination, perseverance, optimism and a resolve of steel.

5.

Generally, we hate beggars, sometime pity them, and often ignore them while sometimes we pay them some change.

But have we ever thought about how the personal life of a beggar would be?

This question arises after we hear the curious case of Pappu Kumar, a 32-year-old beggar from Patna railway station who has been begging there for past 7 years. Recently, it was discovered that he had a property worth Rs. 1.2 Crores, bank accounts in 4 banks with deposits of Rs. 5 Lakhs.

On further investigation, it was learnt that he had passed intermediate exams and wanted to do engineering but he met with a serious accident, which paralyzed him. And he started begging after his family disowned him. Later, he inherited money after his father’s death, but by then, he had found his ‘passion’ for begging. He simply followed his passion … and success followed.

This raises some difficult questions:

Is he doing something wrong? Because begging is not illegal or a crime in India. He is simply following his passion and is fairly successful in his profession.

Would he be considered a failure in life while successful in his career?

Is he a social icon to have given a respectability to the deprived begging community, or he shall be considered an anti-social mascot, because he might lure many people into the begging profession by his exemplary achievement?

Hard to say… views differ. 

6.

All of us wait in a queue at one point of time or other. But how do we spend that time while we are waiting in the queue? Sometimes we get bored, sometimes we get irritated, sometimes we feel that we are wasting precious time.

But, Deepinder Goyal, an IIT graduate felt otherwise.

While he stood in the queue at the canteen of his company for lunch, he realized that the queue was moving slowly, because everyone was taking time to look at the Menu card before ordering the food. And an idea flashed in his mind. He scanned the menu card and made it available to the employees online, so that before they stood in the queue, they were fairly clear as to what to order.

His idea became so popular that quickly his portal got many hits from the employees.

That gave birth to a much bigger idea. Why not to expand this concept outside the company as well?

Today, his company Zomato, provides the location and Menu card for around 300,000 restaurants in 155 cities in 19 countries, with an annual turnover of Rs.1000 Crores.

True, every success story starts with a small idea … and firm belief that it will work.    

7.

Every society has some people who work silently behind the scene for the betterment of someone. These people have heart of Gold and their ideas are truly noble.

The people of Bhopal witnessed one such couple, Hassen Parvez and Dr. Noorunnisa.

This couple had found an 8-year-old girl, Sharada, abandoned and in an injured condition on the Barkheda station in year 2000. They brought her home, took care of her, educated her and brought her up as their own daughter.

Recently, they performed Sharada’s marriage with Durga Prasad in a proper Hindu style, in the Ram Janki temple on the banks of Budhni Ghat in Sehore district of Madhya Pradesh.

It was a unique occasion, where a Muslim couple did the ‘Kanyadan’ in traditional Hindu custom.

In today’s troubles times, when the tensions between two religions flare up instantly on slightest provocation, such positive events provide a soothing feeling … and reinforce a belief among the moderates in the society that goodness still prevails…!  

8.

Many times, on hearing some inspiring stories of people who did something worthwhile for the society, we too get motivated to do something good to the society. However, soon the enthusiasm fizzles out with a thought, ‘What can I alone do? The magnitude of the problem is much bigger, and my contribution may be too insignificant…’

Well, Ramesh Chandra Nambardar, a farmer from Shamli, Meerut in UP would tend to differ.

For the last one year, he has been providing 25 liters of fresh milk every day to 120 children of a primary school as his contribution to the society. He says that the central government, which has urged every MP to adopt one village each, inspires him to do his bit. He acknowledges that some people donate warm clothes, while some other people donate books. He felt that supplying fresh milk to the poor children would avoid their malnourishment and make them stronger.

True, Ramesh Chandra may not be making a big difference on the national or even state level, with his small philanthropic deed. But surely, he is making a huge difference in the lives of those 120 poor children, who were facing a high risk of malnutrition otherwise.

The satisfaction derived by him by doing this would be much more than the money that he would have earned by selling the milk.

After all, not all pleasures in life can be quantified with their worth in money. Such pleasures are priceless…!   

9.

How often do we get an opportunity to demonstrate our maturity on sensitive matters pertaining to religion and humanity? And when we do get such an opportunity, how many show the courage and magnanimity to rise above the ‘normal’ behavior?

Shail Devi, a widow in her 50s has shown to the world that humanity is the supreme religion, above all known religions in the world.

Recently, when the communal riots were in full blaze in Muzaffarpur in Bihar, she gave shelter to 10 Muslims in her house to save them from an uncontrolled mob of around 5000 people, who were on a rampage. The mob came to her house also and asked her whether there was any Muslim in the house. She firmly said ‘No’ and stood guarding the main door with her two daughters.

Later, Mohammad, one of those ten people in his sixties, said that she was like a God-sent angel for them. The Bihar government has rewarded her for her heroic act and exemplary behavior in times of extreme crisis.

What Shail Devi has done should make every person proud. She has shown that the foremost duty of any human being to help others in their need of hour. Such acts of goodness work towards healing the wounds and the scars left by the ugly incidents of communal riots.

After all, it feels good … to be good.   

10.

What is required for doing charity? More wealth or a big heart?

Well, Shakoor Mohammad, a daily wage laborer from Jodhpur, Rajasthan has proved to the world that one need not be a rich person to donate for charitable purposes. What is required instead is a big heart.

In 1984, he had purchased six plots of land, each measuring 150 square yards, for a total of Rs. 4000/- only. Today, the value of these plots is around Rs. 1.5 Crores.

Two years ago, he donated one of those plots for building a hospital on his mother’s name. He is very satisfied that today the hospital treats around 50 people daily.

In spite of his wealthy status, he prefers to lead a simple life and works for long hours every day.

The blessings of the people treated in that hospital surely gives him a satisfaction, which he knows he can never expect from the costly luxuries that he can afford...! 

Hats off to Shakoor Mohammad, who has truly demonstrated the meaning of ‘Simple living … High thinking’.

***

Coming soon … Volume #5