This is India, we like to help each other!

There are times when you forget to do the most basic things. Something similar happened to me when I was driving home one day from my evening walk. Maybe it was because the Nano has slightly different display settings or may be I was just lost in my own thoughts that I did not realise that the car had run out of petrol!

The car gradually started slowing down. I sensed something wrong and steered it towards the footpath. It abruptly came to a halt. I tried restarting it but it wouldn't start. Suddenly, I noticed the gas tank light was blinking 'empty'! Oh god - how foolish of me! Now what!?

I quickly gathered my thoughts. Never mind, I told myself. There is a petrol station not very far from here. I'll grab an auto and go get petrol. As it would be, the security guard of the building close by approached me asking me to move the car away.

"Car has run out of petrol." I told him.

"Oh! Don't worry, okay? You go get petrol. I'll watch your car." How nice of him, I thought. There were a bunch of middle-aged men sitting on a bench nearby. They all nodded with sympathetic approval.

I signaled for the auto which was passing by.

"Brother, my car has run out of petrol. I need to get to the nearest petrol pump to fetch petrol and come back."

"Never mind sister. Please sit." I was touched by his warmth.

When we were on our way, he said, "Sister, do you have a bottle or something for the petrol?"

"Erm… no!"

"You will need a kerbo. Don't worry, there's a shop on the way, where we'll get it."

We stopped at a plastic shop. He asked the shopkeeper to get me a kerbo - a container generally used for petrol/kerosene.

He started talking to the shopkeeper. "Sister's car has run out of petrol. It is our duty to help."

A few people were sitting outside the shop. They all became concerned. "Oh! The petrol pump is just five minutes away. They will give petrol. Don't worry sister, okay?"

"Let's go sister," said the auto-driver and we were off.

Luckily, the petrol station was not very far away. We quickly bought petrol and got back where the car was parked. Since I am not very experienced in the technical details of a car, I was fumbling to find the petrol tank.

I looked up to seek help. I did not have to do anything. A group of around 10 people were already waiting to take over. My car no longer remained mine. They opened the bonnet and poured in the petrol. They made sure the car started and graciously asked me to go home safely.

By now, we already had formed a small group on the road. I was overwhelmed with emotions! Everyone, starting from the auto driver, to the watchman and his friends, random passersby, other auto-drivers, street-hawkers, and traffic police - everyone came along to help me. Maybe this is the magic about India after all. This is what makes us so special, so unique, so Indian!

Interestingly, there was a foreigner in the group watching the show as well. As I was watching my car being fixed, I heard a small voice at the back.

A passerby was talking to the foreigner in broken English. "This is India, Sir. We like to help each
other, you know!"    

The writer is Ahmedabad-based social entrepreneur. She can be reached at kanan.dhru@gmail.com