he made my day..

As a part of a small celebration.. Chetana invited me for a treat @CCD. She is completing 2 years with Accenture.

By around 3:30 pm today we both went down... first she took me to the vodafone shop to pay her monthly rental for her 3rd vodafone mobile number.. I still wonder why girls often change their mobile numbers. Any ways.. as usual there was a long queue near the counter.

I took a seat and started going tru today news paper. Near me sat one kid of around 12-15yrs of age.. a tamilian to be specific.. with unclean dress and brown hair. I thought he is a helper in that shop. But to my surprise.. he was waiting for his turn to meet the vodafone executive.

Initially i didn't look at him that much.. but in that crowd it was hard for me to notice him. When the vodafone executive called his token number.. i was surprised.. what is this guy doing in this shop. Majority of the people there were well dressed IT professional...talking loud in some western slang.. but this guy looks like a poor kid..seemed to me like an uneducated kid..every one kept a distance, a strange and puzzled look with a big question mark in their face.."what is this chap doing with an old Nokia 1100 mobile in the with vodafone shop". Obviously he had some problem with the connection.

I started noticing him..he started explaining his problems with the vodafone executive. He was calm while he explained his problem to the person in white shirt and red tie. Unnaturally the executive started asking him so many questions.. like, "from where did he took the connection" to eventually asking him to remove the SIM from the mobile to check if the SIM is a valid one or not. I think the executive also might have thought... what is this guy doing here. Even when the executive start firing with tons of questions.. he sat there composed and replied very politely.

This was not an usual tamilian. To me, local tamilians shouts louder if they are having a problem and they create a mess out of it. But this was so different.

Chetana called me.. this was a sign for me get up and move to CCD. I looked at the kid for the last time.. and left to shop.

After 5 mins.. we were at the CCD. We ordered for a cool blue and a chocolate frappé and started chatting..gossiping.. and to my surprise the I saw the same kid, who was in the vodafone shop, entering the CCD.

The CCD down my office is one of the hot spot for lovers.. business man and all the NIFT beauties... Today CCD was deserted and the usual A.R Rahman song was playing in full throttle.

The CCD employees had a puzzled look at the kid and my senses fully turned to that boy. In-fact we both stared at the same unwanted object at the CCD.

He stood near the counter, with his head raised, asked for a coffee. Every one had a laugh initially and we too. Initially no one cared about him and we got our orders and started having it.

The kid again and went up a bit and started again...
"Coffee.."
Every one started noticing at him.

They asked him.. "are you coming here for the first time".

He politely replied, "Yes..".

They looked each other and shared a common smile.

This kid asked for a coffee again... and they asked him to sit outside. To my surprise.. he replied back:
"I wanted to have a coffee from here and cant you serve it here itself. Why should I go out and sit?"

This was not expected from a kid who dressed like that and wearing normal slippers and at a place where you cant get anything less than Rs. 50.

They asked him to take a seat. He sat in a place which is at the center of that room so that every one can see that kid and he was calm and quite.

He didn't had any shy... rather no fear.. nothing.. as normal as every one.

Rather I felt something abnormal. I pinched my self to check if I am seeing a dream.

after every 2 mins he raises his head and give a sign for his coffee.. Yes, even we used to do the same when it takes more time for our orders.

I started thinking.. how can he behave like so normally.. how can he be so disciplined.. is he an avatar or someone.. is he from someone from big family.. is he educated.. I started asking so many questions to myself.

Chetana and I started observing the kid very keenly and started commenting.. see this.. see that.. how he is behaving.. wondering how can he do that.. kinda...

This kid started noticing us.. so we just thought lets not gave him an embarrassing moment. Let him have his time and let him be happy.

After few mins.. he got his capechino with 2 sugar sachet.

Adding to my surprise.. he started tearing the sachet... put the sugar in to the big cup and started stirring enjoying the flavour of the coffee.
If I was at his age, trust me guy.. first point I would never visit such an expensive shop for a coffee. Also I wouldn't be knowing what is there in the packet and I might realise this as sugar sachet only after tasting the coffee.

He started tasting the form at the top and we just sat there to see what gonna happen next. In between i took a photo of that guy too. It took his almost 5 mins to drink the coffee and after that... guys.. u wont believe.. how did he learn the table manners.

He put the torn sachet beneath the cup and wiped his lips using the tissue paper. And after some time he drank few drops of water from the bottle which is kept at the table.

Chetana started worring.. now they are going to charge the kid for the water bottle too. I waited till he gets the bill. He stood up...went to the counter.. and took some 100 ruppee not from his pocket and handed over to the waiter. At this point of time... i am not doubting his integrity or his veraciousness... Again from his look, i wonder from where he got that much indian currency.

When the kid asked for the bill.. they said.. "you dont have to pay for this". Again he showed his money..they didnt accept the money and gave the kid a fresh bottle of chilled mineral water bottle too.

He liked thier response and like a Rajani Fan, he just jumped, with his head twisting to the left.. waving his brown hair.. and left the shop feeling satisfied.

To me, that kid gave me so much of insight... i cant express or explain how good I felt. I thanked the CCD guy for offering the kid free coffee.

And the kid might have felt so happy there by.. he made my day too.