Special Couple

It was a regular chilly day. The new year was around the corner with most of the people planning for big bash celebrations. My father, who is a simple man, runs a small eatery in the main market. As usual, he was at his work with the flow of customers in and out. It was around 3.00 p.m. and the lunch was about to close when a couple entered the place. It wasn't the normal couple but the one which left a lasting impression on my father. 

A woman, who was in her late 20s, entered inside the eatery holding the hand of a man who was visually impaired. After making him comfortable on a chair, she came up to my father and pleaded, “can you give us something to eat in this amount only”, extending a note of Rs.50 towards him. My dad was quite surprised looking at them. The lady appeared to be amicable, well educated, and dignified whereas the person along with her looked fairly the opposite. Pertaining to my father’s curious nature, he couldn't stop himself from asking the lady about her whereabouts. She answered politely, “Sir, I am Seema and was working as a travel agent with a decent salary in the neighboring city. Due to this pandemic, the agency suffered a loss and I lost my job. We are now forced to survive on my savings until I find a new one." When my father expressed regret, she instantly said, "Don't worry Sir, I have come here for an interview and hoping to get a new job soon". He felt relieved and then asked about the man along with her. She smiled sheepishly and said, "he is my husband, we married three years ago.” Continuing with the questionnaire, my dad further enquired, "sorry to bother you so much but is yours a love marriage?". The lady was a bit surprised by the question but respecting my father’s age and understanding the reason behind his interest, she explained, “Sir, let me tell you from the beginning. When I was a kid, my parents took me to different charity homes. Amongst all, the one that deeply touched my heart was an NGO working for the empowerment of visually challenged people. As I grew up, I got more and more involved with the organization and spent the maximum time that I could with those people. It hurt me to my core when I felt their pain of being deprived of this beautiful gift of vision. Gradually, I realized they don't need pity or sympathy from people like us, rather they simply need pure love and care. It was at that time that I pledged to marry and dedicate my whole life to a person with a loss of vision. And thus, this is how we got hitched!". 

My father was mesmerized by her words. He asked her to take the seat and served the couple filling meals. Once done, he offered them a small financial help. But the duo denied affably saying, "Thank you so much for your concern Sir. But we cannot accept to live on the mercy of others." 

The husband and wife left the place but could not leave from the thoughts of my father. The unconditional love, empathy, and compassion shown by the lady were truly commendable. We all need to have a tiny Seema within us to make the world a better place to live in.