HE CELEBRATES HER PRESENCE

Honesty can work miracles in life and can even create parents where there are none!

She had lost her parents long back but had imbibed the lesson of honesty from them, which found explicit expression one fine day at the cash counter she was working in,with the State Bank of Indore.

An old pensioner slowly walked up to her counter to deposit Rs.1100/- in his account. She found that the old pensioner had given her ten notes of Rs. 100/- each and a single note of Rs. 500/-, which was Rs. 1500/- in all. Clarifying that the note is of Rs. 500/- and not Rs. 100/- as he had believed it to be, she returned the note to him.

He was so overwhelmed by her gesture that he immediately related to her and addressed her as ‘daughter’. She was also delighted as she found a loving father in him and the relationship continued and grew stronger as days passed by.

It was the festival of Diwali and since she had no parents, this year she decided to visit the old pensioner, whom she treated as her father, to seek his blessings. Her husband had also accompanied her and with a box of sweets, as they entered his house they found him sleeping with his blanket on. His wife called out to him that his daughter has arrived, but there was no movement. Again she called this time that his daughter from the bank has arrived—and the next second he was up and cheerfully welcomed her and her husband. She was amazed to see that the call of arrival of ‘his daughter ‘did not bring about any response but the call that ‘ his daughter from the bank’ has arrived, made him jump off his bed and had gladdened his heart like never before!

With joy writ large on his face, he said, “meri asli Diwali aaj hai” (my real Diwali is today).

That evening, those words of love was her real Diwali gift and a heart felt blessing from the old pensioner i.e. her ‘father’, cherished by her forever.

Contributed by Ms Harina with inputs from Mr N K Upadhayaya, Facilitator, State Bank of Indore