There are some events in your life, which leave you teary eyed forever. I can recall a few incidents in my life. The first incident was ,when my mother died. I had just started my career in a public sector undertaking.

The news of my mother’s death reached me through a trunk call ,as mobile phones did not exist ,in the early eighties. I was told by my colleagues at work ,in a remote iron ore mine ,that my mother died in sleep.

I was dropped to the nearest railway station ,in a jeep ,with some cash for any emergencies. I took the train to Nagpur for catching the train to Chennai, where my parents lived.

When I was at the platform at Nagpur station, a Good Samaritan told me ,to catch a train to hyderabad, which was halting at the station. When the guard heard from a young broken and shattered youth of 23, he made me sit next to him and refused to take money for my ticket.

When I reached Hyderabad, this gentleman train guard ,took me out of the station and put me in an auto ,advising the driver to take me to Begumpet. I had never been to Hyderabad before and did not know anything about Begumpet airport, where I was to take a flight to Chennai.

The auto driver took me to Begumpet station and on realising that I have to go to Begumpet airport, took me there from the station and did not even charge ,for that extra drive. On reaching the airport, I realised that I had missed, a slow indirect flight to Chennai and the next flight would be direct one and take me there within an hour.

On arrival at Chennai, a family friend working at the airport, was waiting for me and drove me straight to my home, in a cab and informed my family that I had arrived. My mom’s body was about to be taken to the funeral ground but they waited for me, as I was the eldest son and had the duty to light the pyre.

I did not cry on seeing my mother dead ,as my tears were frozen and I could not believe that I lost my mother at 23, when she was only 54. I felt sad for my father, who had just retired from active government service after 37 years and had lost his life partner ,forever.

The second incident was ,when my father was detected with a kidney failure ,within a month of my marriage. I again returned from my iron ore mine and admitted my father in a private hospital in Chennai.

We gave him the best possible treatment we could and he was put on dialysis. I still recall the moment, when the doctor asked me ,if I need to put him in haemo dialysis ,as it was very expensive and the doctor sensed ,I could not afford it. It was almost Rs. 1000 per session and we had it do it twice a week. I knew I could not afford but told the doctor to go ahead, since I knew I could beg or borrow ,to save my father as he was my inspiration in life and he had sacrificed everything for his spouse and children.

He recovered slightly and was in a position to be shifted to Bhilai, a steel township in India, where I worked. We had good medical facilities and it was provided as a free benefit to employees, their families and their dependant parents.

I shifted him in a train from Chennai to Bhilai and took him straight to the hospital ICU in an ambulance. He was admitted there and unfortunately survived ,only for three months . I still recall how a young teenager from my neighbourhood came home, to wake me up and inform me that my father was no more.

Both these incidents ,broke me into pieces. I lost hope in life and living. I was a religious and spiritual person visiting the temple ,once a week religiously. But after both these incidents in quick succession within two years, I lost faith in God and led a recluse, lonely life for almost a year.

But, I did realise how grateful I have to be to the people, who supported me during these crises in my life. My spouse, my friends and relatives, who unconditionally supported me financially and emotionally to get over these crises. I will be ever grateful to them ,not only in this life but in all future births too. Although, I have repaid all the loans ,I took from them, I can never repay their love, care and emotional support to me. This emotional support, love and care can never be measured in monetary terms.

I have narrated these incidents ,not to make you cry but to share how grateful we need to be to the people, who are with you, when you most need them. It may be the guard in the train, the auto driver, my spouse or my friends or relatives who supported me in every possible way, without expecting anything in return.

Today, God has blessed me with a good family, a good career and and a happy and healthy life. But, if I forget to be grateful to these God sent people in my life, I will fail in my duties. I have to look at every opportunity to express my gratitude to them in every way I can .

Life is a full circle and we need to remember this always. I bow in gratitude to all these good samaritans in my life and promise to support them in every possible way right through my life.

Let my frozen tears be forgotten but my gratitude to the good samaritans in my life has to last forever.

S Ramesh Shankar

6th March 2025