An Unexpected Dilemma

"Jai Mata di Bhaiya" he drew my attention by it. I also chanted in reply. It was usual to wish everyone who come across you in a pilgrimage. I didn’t see the forthcoming dilemma. Anyway, this is how, it was started.

In the end of our fascinating journey of Dalhousie trek, as already decided, we went to Vaishnodevi. I already had been there once, yet I convinced all for that pilgrimage. I always love to visit it. So as per plan, we were there. Somehow we were in a situation that we had to check out from room we stayed erstwhile as earlier as possible. So in a hurry to reach the bottom, we were descending rapidly. We all got segregated. Parth was with me. Mostly we were using stairs to come down faster instead of descent. While moving down from one of the stairs, he stopped me. He was ascending, while we were descending. There were many people but he stopped me only. Afterwards we both were astonished that why did he specifically stop me only.

After greetings, he asked me as an introductory part about my inhabitant province. So as a formal conversation, I replied decently. He was with a child and his wife. Then he asked me to help him. I enquired about the nature of help. He told me “bhaiya hum log bus se aa rhe the, whi hamari bag chori ho gai. Mera wallet bhi usme tha”. So basically he wanted monetary assistance. I further ambiguously asked if he complained in police. He replied affirmatively but also told about expected inactivity of police. He told me that he was coming from Shirdi (in Maharshtra). In his journey, he had planned to cover some places in Punjab also but now it wasn’t possible. We also discussed about cell phone but prepaid cell gets inactive there, as it was J & K. so there came a confusing situation for both of us.

My mind started to think in both directions. It really was a bewilderment. On one hand, my intellect was doubting if he was just a knave, on the other hand my intuition was guiding me that he really was in a genuine problem. Parth was also amazed by that sudden facing of a stranger. We weren’t able to decide what to do. A rapid thinking was going on in my mind. Let me elaborate both points of view.

If his bag was really stolen, first doubt was who keeps continue their journey without money. I mean, if you are in such condition, you first try to contact your relatives and somehow manage to collect some money via indirect contacts. If u cannot manage to get money, you stop your journey and try to get back home as early as possible. Instead, he continued journey. In spite, they were three persons including child. His bag was stolen, now, who manages to travel so long distance only with a single bag. I mean at least there should be 2 bags to accommodate all belongings of two individuals. There were many possible reasons to doubt them.

Now other aspect was my intuition guidance. The truthfulness I saw in his voice, his wife’s anxious face, child’s innocence. All your intellectuality, your cognition, your thoughtfulness becomes lack lustre when your intuition guides you strongly. In spite there also lies arguments which nullify aforementioned doubts. He & his wife were totally okay even if we don’t help them. They didn’t have an urge for money. This was inclining me to help them. So basically I had both directive thoughts.

Somehow we mutually took decision. What we did, I won’t state here. I don’t want to be judged. My purpose to write this is not to discuss whether my deed was right or wrong, whether that person was in actual trouble or was just a knave. The sole motive I want to convey here is to have a look inside yourself only. Many among us might have come across in a situation like this and have dealt with it. That person might be honest or might be a dishonest one but that person doesn’t define anything. You, yourself, define everything. It defines the society you represent, rather it defines yourself more. After all a society or a community is build up by aggregation of many ‘You’ or ‘Me’. Put yourself in the similar situation, think.

At the end, you don’t need to prove it to anyone. You just need to prove to your soul only.