The Time When I Helped Someone. A stranger, a roof and the small… | by Sunil kumar | Introvert Diary | Aug, 2025

I was enjoying my walk through the dunes, lost in my quixotic world. The sun was dipping low. It wasn’t scorching anymore, and the view, it’s always mesmerising. Then I saw him.

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An old man, around sixty. Wearing a dhoti and kurta, which looked quite dirty, like no shower or laundry in a while. A bag made from old fertiliser sacks hung from his shoulder, with some clothes peeking out. A bottle with a cloth stitched around it to keep the water cool. He looked tired, restless a pedestrian.

He approached me, as I was the only one around for him to see at that time. There aren’t many people living here. Everyone lives on farms, and they have dogs, so maybe he didn’t think of going there.

Initiating talk, for me, is an arduous task in any situation. I just kept walking. He was coming from the opposite side. As he came close, he said, “Ram Ram, beta” (a greeting), while moving toward the shade under a tree, and sat down there.

His voice… it was low, a bit trembling, and he was gulping almost every two seconds.

Sitting there, I replied, “Ram Ram, maayat.” (Maayat for any elder person)

He started speaking about himself, and it wasn’t a new story around here. But this was the first time I was hearing it from the first person, in this circumstance. He told his story. It was his son and daughter-in-law, as it often is.

He said his son was good to him, but the daughter-in-law wasn’t. There were always fights.
“My daughter wasn’t very welcome when she came home two or three times a year from her in-laws. But after I named all my farms to my son, he changed too. Now, my daughter isn’t welcome at all, and they made me leave home. I don’t have anywhere else to go or stay, except my daughter, but I don’t want to. I can’t think of burdening her. But what else can I do?”

He had been walking, stopping like this under trees, for the past six days.

It was evening. He asked me if he could have a place for the night to sleep, take a shower, and get two rotis (some food). Simple things. Just a little help.

But for me, it was a big decision to make. Being part of a joint family means a lot of mindsets, and this decision included the home. So it was tough.

I knew my siblings (cousins) would agree with me, but I was worried about the elders. They wouldn’t oppose it if I made the call. They’d wait till morning when he left, and then there would be lessons for me. But my elder uncle… not sure about him. In the evening, he doesn’t speak. It’s alcohol that speaks and does things.

I stumbled through these thoughts. But where I was, I couldn’t say no. Even if “no” was an option for me, I couldn’t see it. And here, “no” didn’t feel right and it wasn’t.

I took him with me, thinking it’s gonna be okay. Or maybe I’ll join him in the journey otherwise.

Lucky for me, there were already some elderly neighbours talking with my grandfather. And it was lucky for me because people do things sometimes, even when they know it’s not right, just because they think they have to. But when everyone else around knows what the right thing is, you’ll feel pressure and you’ll do the right thing. No pretending. No wanting. It just happens.

And I knew my people this much. once they agreed, they’d do it the right way.

So we came, and I didn’t have to do much for introductions. People here love that part. So they started talking with him. He told them what he told me, and what I did for him.

There was silence but just for a second.

Now, in front of everyone, you have to say the right thing which is to be human. And everyone said, “Make yourself at home.” And I was praised.

I was happy. Not because of the praises, but because I really didn’t do much but I did something good.

Chai came. Everyone drank chai. He told them more about himself. They shared similar stories they knew and talked about how humanity is fading.

My mission was to manage that one uncle, and it wasn’t too difficult either. It was farm all around the house, so you could put a bed anywhere and sleep. And he (my uncle) was high enough that I could keep him busy in conversation, steer him where I wanted, and keep him talking until he slept. And that was done.

The next morning, the old man was ready to go.

My sister packed food for him. My buaa (my father’s sister) gave him a little money, which he said he couldn’t take, but she insisted. My uncle’s friend dropped him off at the bus stop on a tractor.

Before going, he thanked us a lot.

And I was very happy about it. I was proud of myself. But I was also ready for the lecture which I got. And I don’t blame them either. Because terrible things are happening.

But I’ll remember that always.

We’re not good or bad people. we are just people. We just do things. Sometimes they’re good. Sometimes not. Not for someone, somehow.

I’ve done things that weren’t good too, as I see them now.
But this one… this one keeps reminding me that I have a side that’s willing to do good for people who need it.

It is something that always makes me happy and human.

Thank you RGagandeep for these Challenge.