ONE GOOD DEED can touch a thousand hearts. I know it and you know it as well! There have been several such moments where we have realised that may be one Good deed has helped someone out of a disaster. This is the reason I am sharing a true life incident that has touched my heart and believe that one good deed will help me someday.
Two years back, I distinctly remember calling up Mr. M (Name withheld for confidentiality reasons) several times that day but the message kept playing “The number you are trying to reach has been switched off”. I assumed that he was in a meeting, because he generally switched off his cell phone to avoid any disturbance from clients. Mr. M was the Accounts manager of this particular branch where I had my savings bank account. The next day, I tried contacting him at the same time, but the same recorded message played back. I just wanted to know why he had not come for my clinic’s inaugural function as well as ask him about opening my business account with them. Anyways, I forgot about the call and went on ahead with my clinic till I had enough moolah to deposit & realised that the business account work was pending. Since a month had passed by, I redialled Mr. M’s number, assuming that he would be back at work, but was surprised that the same message played back. Had he changed jobs? Had he left the city? I was a little disheartened that he had not informed me before leaving. Not that I had any personal interest in his whereabouts but because of this 8 year old banking relationship between a manager and a customer.
Yes…8 years back, after I moved base to settle in Delhi after my marriage, I visited this particular branch of this leading bank to open a new account. Since I already had an account with them in my native place, I directly headed to the “MAY I HELP YOU” section. Mr. M was seated there as Relationship Manager. I thought I would be directed to another officer, but Mr. M was very courteous and did the needful in a jiffy. I thought that he would have been trained that way to be NICE to the customers as it was all about getting more customers. Gradually, I frequented the bank every month as I received my salary in cash and needless to say, Mr. M would do everything for me, without my having to move even an inch. Years passed by and my mother who would visit me from my native place, needed to handle her account from Delhi and none other than Mr. M would go out of the way to help both of us. Over the years, with more investments, trading, problems in transactions, I would continue to disturb Mr. M, who was now promoted to Accounts manager who had been showered with more responsibilities. No matter how busy he was, he would first exchange pleasantries and then proceed. He made sure I never went unhappy from the customer seat.
So here I was dialling his number and feeling miserable that I had lost a great banker like Mr. M. (It seriously is like losing your best family physician!). I decided to make time and go to the bank personally and figure out the procedures for business accounts. The first thing I asked the relationship manager was “WHERE ON EARTH IS Mr. M?” She looked at me and frowned. She kind of stammered but broke the news that Mr. M had a head-on collision with a truck and was in COMA for more than a month and may not make it through. The day she mentioned was on the day of my inaugural function. The words reverberated in my head. I kept thinking about him throughout the day and offered a prayer for his betterment. Strangely, I stopped having major problems with my banking & gradually stuck to net banking. A year later I met a colleague of his and enquired about him. I was expecting him to tell me that he was “NO MORE” but was quite delighted to know that he was alive….but had a total loss of memory and would remain so for life.
The thoughts flashed back, of a conversation we had some years back when he had mentioned that he was from a small town in Uttar Pradesh and how he had to support his mother and sister. I wondered how they could afford to take care of him and learnt that the bank had extended some support. That night, I prayed for him and hoped that someday he would get better, not because he was my banker but over the years, I grew to know him as a genuine person with a clean heart, mind and soul.
Last week, I happened to have the same issue with a cheque and was forced to go back to that bank’s branch. I dreaded it and just wished that I met someone like Mr. M who would help me out in a jiffy. I stepped into the bank and asked a woman seated there about my problem and was told to wait, till the accounts manager would get free. Under my breath, I wished that Mr. M would appear out of the blues and say “How are you Ma’am, Long time-No see” but brushed the idea off, as I was aware that he may never be able to work again. I took a seat and my eyes drifted towards the “MAY I HELP YOU” section. I could not believe my eyes when I actually saw Mr. M seated there. I rubbed my eyes once again, trying to delete the mirage of my imagination. YES…He really was seated there talking to a customer. The speed I ran with to that counter surely made everyone turn to notice my sudden unnatural behaviour. I was speechless, with tears in my eyes. He just smiled at me! With a slurred tone, he said “Hello Ma’am, Please have a seat”. His expression was blank and I was sure he could not recall anything about me. A moment later, I was shocked when he addressed me by my name and asked about my mom, my family and mentioned that he had met with an accident and that he is slowly gaining back his memory. He asked me about my clinic and I was so happy that he remembered every little detail about my account and its problems. He actually instructed his co-banker and got my work done in a jiffy.
What touched me was that the bank had decided to give him a stress free part of the job so that he could sustain himself, in spite of not being fully able to do justice to his job. His recovering health proved for a fact that definitely Mr. M had touched several hearts with his good deeds for which there were a thousand prayers like mine who have help him see the light of the day. I also know for sure, that he will recover with all our good wishes and be in the same position that he once commanded. God Bless Him!
ONE GOOD DEED CAN TOUCH A THOUSAND HEARTS.
THOSE THOUSAND HEARTS WILL PRAY FOR YOU
WHEN YOU NEED IT THE MOST.