Lassi - Sweet Buttermilk (a true story)
After placing an order for Lassi (sweet buttermilk), my friends and I were relaxing comfortably, joking and having a good time. An old lady in her mid-seventies approached me and begged for some money.
She was very frail and her back was bent over completely. Hunger was showing through her heavily wrinkled face. Her eyes were sunken deep but still had light in them. As I reached in my pocket to take out a few coins, I found myself asking her: “Daadi (Grandma) would you like to drink Lassi?”
The old lady was taken aback, and so were my friends. Because while I could have got away with giving her mere 5 or 10 rupees, now I would have to shell out 35 rupees for the cost of a glass of lassi! It seemed that I was getting poorer while she was getting richer because of getting a good deal out of it!
The old lady took a deep breath, gained composure - took out 6 or 7 rupees that she had collected so far, and gave them to me.
“What is this for?”, I asked her.
“Son, please take this money that I have, and add whatever more is required to pay for my Lassi”. she replied.
I was already emotional on seeing this old lady’s grace. And then she topped it with her generosity! With teary eyes, I told the owner of stall to bring one more glass of lassi, and told the lady to keep her money. She put the money away and sat down on the floor, waiting for the lassi…
Now a feeling of shame came over me because, in front of my friends, the stall owner, and other customers, I could not muster the courage to tell her to sit on a chair with us - not on the floor! I was afraid that others would take an exception to me for letting a beggar lady sit on a chair with the rest of the crowd. But me sitting on a chair and her on the floor - was making me very uncomfortable…
When we got our glasses of lassi, I instinctively left my chair and sat down on the floor beside the old lady. While I could not ask her to sit on a chair, I was free to sit by her. And moreover, nobody could object to that. My friends angrily stared at me. But before anyone could say a word, the stall owner came forward and gently helped the old lady sit on an empty chair. He smiled at me, and with folded hands, said “Sir, please sit on your chair … I get a lot of customers, but rarely does a real human being pays a visit here...”
Now, everyone had a smile on their faces, and a glass of lassi in their hands. Only the old lady had tears of satisfaction in her eyes, heart full of blessings, and lips covered with lassi...
~ Received from a friend ~
(Translated from Hindi by Mandar Purekar, Michigan)
After placing an order for Lassi (sweet buttermilk), my friends and I were relaxing comfortably, joking and having a good time. An old lady in her mid-seventies approached me and begged for some money.
She was very frail and her back was bent over completely. Hunger was showing through her heavily wrinkled face. Her eyes were sunken deep but still had light in them. As I reached in my pocket to take out a few coins, I found myself asking her: “Daadi (Grandma) would you like to drink Lassi?”
The old lady was taken aback, and so were my friends. Because while I could have got away with giving her mere 5 or 10 rupees, now I would have to shell out 35 rupees for the cost of a glass of lassi! It seemed that I was getting poorer while she was getting richer because of getting a good deal out of it!
The old lady took a deep breath, gained composure - took out 6 or 7 rupees that she had collected so far, and gave them to me.
“What is this for?”, I asked her.
“Son, please take this money that I have, and add whatever more is required to pay for my Lassi”. she replied.
I was already emotional on seeing this old lady’s grace. And then she topped it with her generosity! With teary eyes, I told the owner of stall to bring one more glass of lassi, and told the lady to keep her money. She put the money away and sat down on the floor, waiting for the lassi…
Now a feeling of shame came over me because, in front of my friends, the stall owner, and other customers, I could not muster the courage to tell her to sit on a chair with us - not on the floor! I was afraid that others would take an exception to me for letting a beggar lady sit on a chair with the rest of the crowd. But me sitting on a chair and her on the floor - was making me very uncomfortable…
When we got our glasses of lassi, I instinctively left my chair and sat down on the floor beside the old lady. While I could not ask her to sit on a chair, I was free to sit by her. And moreover, nobody could object to that. My friends angrily stared at me. But before anyone could say a word, the stall owner came forward and gently helped the old lady sit on an empty chair. He smiled at me, and with folded hands, said “Sir, please sit on your chair … I get a lot of customers, but rarely does a real human being pays a visit here...”
Now, everyone had a smile on their faces, and a glass of lassi in their hands. Only the old lady had tears of satisfaction in her eyes, heart full of blessings, and lips covered with lassi...
~ Received from a friend ~
(Translated from Hindi by Mandar Purekar, Michigan)
Heart touching and inspiring story. Thank you so much for sharing.
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