Yes, Money Can buy Happiness

I was standing at the corner of the street waiting for my pickup. I saw a vendor selling vegetables. Vegetables were kept at a big table in front of the shop. He was sprinkling water to keep them fresh.

I called the driver. He told me to wait for five minutes and hung up. I was just looking around. I saw an old woman who came at the shop to buy some vegetables. She was wearing dirty and torn clothes. She was looking very poor.

Vendor asked her, "Amma, What do you want to buy?"

She unfolded her hands and mumbled, "I have only this." Coins were there in her hand that amounts to 8 rupees.

"This is not enough to buy anything. Go and take some more." Vendor said in a harsh tone.

"I have only this money." She replied in a quiet voice.

"What do you need?" he asked.

She pointed her finger to tomato.

"You will not get much of this. Take something else. Brinjal or Bottle Gourd?"

"Bottle Gourd." She said.

He took a piece of it and put it on weighing scale. 8 rupees could only give her one small piece of that vegetable. She took it and left.

I stayed there for a while. For a moment, I had no thoughts in my mind. It felt something bad inside. She did not have the privilege to eat she wanted. It reminded me of Santoshi, an eleven-year-old girl who died due to starvation and those people who could not afford two meals a day.

After few moments, I could see the woman going away in the street. I hurriedly went to the shop. I asked him to pack 1 kg tomato and 1 kg Onion. I gave him money and ran to her.

I called her loudly, "Amma".

She stopped and looked behind. I offered the packet of vegetables to her.

She looked at me weirdly and said," Why are you giving this to me?"

"I saw that you want to buy tomato."

"Yes. I wanted to but had not much of money."

"Take this."

"How can I take this? This is yours." She said in a calm voice.

"Please take it. You need it." I pleaded.

She took some time to take the vegetables. I handed over the packet. She put her hand on my head and said, "Thank you son."

She left with a smile on her face. It also put a smile on my face. That feeling was something different.

That time, I thought, "It is quite wrong to say that money can't buy happiness. Money can indeed buy something which gives you happiness."