Stories come to life when we humans, who are also the creators of stories, choose to read them. There are around 7 billion people living in the world each having a story of their own. Some of us love to explore the human stories. The team of Youth Incorporated found one such individual who not just explores the life stories of common people but also takes valuable learnings for himself from each.
Mitesh Gupta, a 25-year-old resident of Mumbai, is just like all of us, full of life working towards fulfilling his goals and dreams. He is a media professional who finds joy in serving society. He also loves to occasionally cook when not working.
While commuting, Mitesh often picks the chance of getting to know common people’s life stories, some of which he has chosen to share with the readers of Youth Incorporated.
Mr.Kisan Belekar, who Mitesh addresses as ‘a man with a golden smile’, is a jolly bus conductor.
This is what Mitesh has to share about Mr. Kisan Belekar:
When I took a bus from Thane to travel to Mira road, an unusual positive vibe caught my attention. It was the bus conductor of the bus who was the primary source of the vibe. Holding a bright smile on his face, there was Mr. Kisan Belekar busy greeting all the passengers with great joy while providing them with the tickets. His sheer joy in doing his duty and the positive spirit got me thinking, “how can someone hold a smile for this long, and also be polite with each person stepping in the bus?”.
Unable to contain my curiosity, I asked him how he managed to stay this happy at a job that demanded him to stay firm on his legs, travel in traffic and provide tickets to all sorts of people, that too for long hours.
His answer was quite simple: Life is too precious to spend it being sad, grumpy and holding grudges against people. The more you try to stay happy, the better you get at dealing with problems in life. Moreover, when life gives you the choice between staying sad and happy, why must you pick the former?
That day, Mr. Kisan Belekar unknowingly taught me one great life learning. Besides, while every single person, especially in a city like Mumbai, undergoes several problems, people like Mr. Kisan Belekar make it easier for people to survive through the day, just by showing polite gestures towards them.
Next, Mitesh introduces us to a power-woman who earns her bread and butter by driving an autorickshaw. She is a great example to those who hesitate to follow their hearts and succumb to the pressures of life. This lady auto driver is clearly the queen of her own world. Lets read further to find out what Mitesh has to say about her.
We all residents of Mumbai know what a big task it is to find a taxi or autorickshaw in one go. Standing outside Ghatkopar station, I was trying to get an autorickshaw to drop me to my destination, but all in vain. Just then, I heard a female voice calling me from behind. All she said was “aao bhaiya, mai chod deti hu aapko (come, brother, I’ll drop you)”
I was stunned to see a lady auto driver. This was something my eyes weren’t habituated on seeing. When I sat inside the auto, I got into a conversation with the lady and found out a few interesting things about her. She said she earlier used to work in the hospitality sector since 1999 but gave up since she wasn’t enjoying working under anybody. Besides, it did not allow her to grow and thrive. The reason she chose to work in this male-dominated sector was that it allowed her to be her own boss. The job of an auto driver allows her to have a routine that isn’t dependant on anyone else. Here she can complete her sleep, drive and work as much as she wants as there are no time restrictions, earn money as per her ability and also save some time for herself.
This lady auto driver taught me to follow my dreams and do everything that makes me truly happy.
The third person Mitesh wants to introduce to us is Mr. Pappu Kumar who proves it well, that great chef can also be found in a desi dhabba.
This is what Mitesh learned from Mr. Pappu Kumar’s life story.
I met him, Mr. Pappu Kumar, at Bajrangi Dhaba on Agra highway. Soon I found out that his left leg is crippled since childhood. This, however, has not once discouraged him to move forward in life. Each day, he works hard and tries to better his life. He is currently 44 years old and remains to be unmarried by choice. The reason behind this is his weak financial background and the inability to provide his wife with a good life. Nevertheless, he is battling courageously with the struggles that come his way.
For those of you who complain about not having a good life, remember there is always someone wishing he/she could be as lucky as you. Be thankful to the life God has gifted you because many aren’t as lucky as you are.
Mitesh also has introduced us to someone who he calls ‘Lady Singham’ because of her valor and strength. Even after undergoing many hardships in life, her strength continuous to stay unperturbed. Her name is Mrs. Saroj Sushil Rajput and she is a garland vendor.
Let us see what Mitesh has to say about her.
Mrs. Saroj Sushil Rajput’s life has had many ups and downs until now. Since her childhood, she has been facing the devil of poverty. Her father was a carpenter and mother a homemaker. Her family found it difficult to provide her sufficiently as a result of which, she never even got the basic education she so eagerly wanted to pursue. Mrs. Saroj has always carried her unfulfilled dream of becoming a tailor in her heart. Given the weak financial background of her family, she had to start working as a housemaid to aid her family financially, at a very early age of 11. Since then she has worked for a family in Dadar, Mumbai. Mrs. Subhangi Naresh Amgande, who employed Mrs. Saroj has been her prime source of motivation who encouraged her to start something of her own.
This is when Mrs. Saroj Sushil Rajput started with her own flower and garland selling business. This enabled her to earn more money than she was previously making as a housemaid. Mrs. Sajor is a mother of three daughters and alone, runs the family. She lost her husband two years back and now lives with her three daughters and inlaws. After her husband passed away due to a heart attack, Mrs. Saroj saw her entire world crumbling down before her eyes. However, waking up to her responsibility of feeding her family and giving wings to her daughters’ lives, she rose up like a Pheonix.
Now, her sole motive in life is to provide a good quality of life to all her daughters; a life that she never got a chance to live. She says that whenever a feeling of loneliness starts seeping in my heart, she just looks at her daughters and find the strength and willpower to keep going, once again.
Mrs. Saroj Sushil Rajput made me realize that no matter how many hurdles come in your way, make yourself strong enough to cross them because, beyond them, happy life and better days definitely await you.
Such are the life stories of people who refuse to give up, rise from hardships and keep walking on a path in search of better and happy days. How many life stories have you read till now?
