Mr. Courageous

Recently, I’d been on an adventure trip in the villages of Gujarat and passed this small town, very close to the hometown of our Prime Minister. At first, I thought it was VISAnagar as everybody in Gujarat is trying to get a visa to the USA, but it’s Visnagar.

In the evening, I was just checking out the town and wanted to shave. I was hunting a barbershop and just then this old man came out of thin air to help me.

First, he asked me where have I come from and what the purpose of my trip is. Then he asked me about my budget. I told him that I am a traveler and looking for a cheap barber for the job. With no second thought, he gave me the name of a shop. Suddenly, I don’t know what happened, he showered his love on me.

You’re our guest. I’ll guide you, sir.

I requested him not to say me so and that I’m of his grandson’s age. But he was quite determined to accompany me till the shop. He took me to a nice barbershop that was his favorite. Then, he not only told the barber to give me a nice shave but a head massage as well. On the top, he sat there till I was done and paid for my shave and head massage.

Friends, we the people of big cities are so materialistic that we don’t have the sight to look beyond money. Such stories have become folklore. But this is a fact in small towns and villages of India. People are so loving and compassionate. Guest is GOD for them and they’re courageous enough to treat them like that.

I was extremely touched by this act. Not that I couldn’t pay or don’t stop him but I didn’t want to take away the pleasure of receiving. After the act, we hugged each other tightly and he disappeared into thin air.

Some people find God in stones, I — always — find God in humans.

His name was Himmatbhai Shah and himmat means courage in Hindi.