Commuters’ Tales: Stranger’s kind act pacifies helpless youngster on a train

My ancestors hail from Karnataka but I was born and brought up in Nairobi. I only visited India during summer vacations until I completed high school and then, I moved to Bengaluru for my higher studies. I love photographing nature, wildlife and people so I decided to make the best of my time in the country and travelled quite a bit during weekends and holidays.

During one train journey from Chennai to Varkala, I bought food in the railway station and boarded just on time. Only after getting in did I realise that I had no cash left and that I hadn’t bought a water bottle! I immediately downloaded the railways app on my phone and tried to order water and breakfast for the next morning. However, it didn’t work properly due to network issues.

I sat down and finished my dinner and just as I was wondering how I could get my hands on a water or juice bottle, an elderly man stood up and handed me Rs 100. “Don’t get off at any station to find an ATM or you’ll miss the train. Just keep this and buy whatever you need,” he said. 

When I asked him for his account details to transfer the money, his wife and he just smiled and went back to making the bed. I was so touched by his gesture and won’t forget to return the favour to someone else in need.