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It was the month of May. Agni Nakshatram was at its peak, and the heat was unbearable. Meera stood outside the taluk office, drenched in sweat, waiting. She had recently given birth to her second baby, who was just two months old. A few months earlier, Meera's father had passed away. After his death, she was living with her mother. They were taking care of each other, while her husband was out of the country.
After her father’s passing, there was a lot of legal work to be done regarding property ownership. Her mother couldn’t handle these matters on her own, and Meera couldn’t stay with her forever either. So, despite everything, she had to run from one government office to another to get things done for her mother.
That day, the office was extremely crowded. Seeing the long queue, she felt certain her turn would come only after lunch. As she stood there waiting, her phone rang. It was her mother. Her two month old baby was crying uncontrollably from hunger. She felt completely helpless. All she wanted was to go home and feed her child, but she couldn’t leave. She had already waited so long.
She kept telling her mother what to do, hoping something would help. Her mother tried everything she could, but nothing worked. The baby didn’t want anything else. She just wanted her mother. She cried as only a hungry newborn can cry.
Meera was overwhelmed with worry and felt like crying out loud.
Just then, she heard a voice from inside the room.
“Are you the mother of a newborn baby?”
She looked inside. The officer was seated in the middle of the room, looking directly at her.
“Yes,” she replied.
He asked why she had come there. Meera explained everything about her father, the legal work, her baby, and her situation. He listened quietly. Then he collected all the necessary documents from her and gave her his personal phone number. He asked her to call him later to confirm that the work had been completed and told her she could come and collect the documents once everything was ready.
She felt an overwhelming sense of relief and gratitude.
Until that day, she had always believed that government offices in India would not function without a bribe. That incident changed her belief. He never asked for anything other than the required documents and proofs. And he did his job with compassion.
That day, apart from the heat, the crowd, and her helplessness, she witnessed quiet humanity where she least expected it.
After her father’s passing, there was a lot of legal work to be done regarding property ownership. Her mother couldn’t handle these matters on her own, and Meera couldn’t stay with her forever either. So, despite everything, she had to run from one government office to another to get things done for her mother.
That day, the office was extremely crowded. Seeing the long queue, she felt certain her turn would come only after lunch. As she stood there waiting, her phone rang. It was her mother. Her two month old baby was crying uncontrollably from hunger. She felt completely helpless. All she wanted was to go home and feed her child, but she couldn’t leave. She had already waited so long.
She kept telling her mother what to do, hoping something would help. Her mother tried everything she could, but nothing worked. The baby didn’t want anything else. She just wanted her mother. She cried as only a hungry newborn can cry.
Meera was overwhelmed with worry and felt like crying out loud.
Just then, she heard a voice from inside the room.
“Are you the mother of a newborn baby?”
She looked inside. The officer was seated in the middle of the room, looking directly at her.
“Yes,” she replied.
He asked why she had come there. Meera explained everything about her father, the legal work, her baby, and her situation. He listened quietly. Then he collected all the necessary documents from her and gave her his personal phone number. He asked her to call him later to confirm that the work had been completed and told her she could come and collect the documents once everything was ready.
She felt an overwhelming sense of relief and gratitude.
Until that day, she had always believed that government offices in India would not function without a bribe. That incident changed her belief. He never asked for anything other than the required documents and proofs. And he did his job with compassion.
That day, apart from the heat, the crowd, and her helplessness, she witnessed quiet humanity where she least expected it.
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