It was a normal weekend outing and a normal car drive. Where I was returning after visiting family relatives. It was around 9 PM and it was a cold moon night of December. We all were wearing warm clothes. There was intense traffic on the road. I was going towards the signal when we saw that girl standing on the signal with holding coloured balloons in her hand. It was a typical signal scene where w lots of poor people stand. Some of them ask for money directly and some try to make money by selling small items.
But that girl was different from others, that girl was not wearing any warm clothes even in the severe cold. She was waiting for the signal to become red so she could go near the cars and sell balloons. After a few seconds the signal became red and I stopped our car. As soon as that girl came near our car, I asked her why she was not wearing warm clothes. Anyone can give them to you.
Yes! Anybody can give it to me but I don’t need it from anyone, I will buy it myself. That girl replied. she further asked, “Do you need balloons? ” I said to her “no theses balloons are of no use to me, but I will give you some money, you can buy some warm cloths and some other things you need with that money’
“No, I don’t want this money for free. In return you will have to take the balloons from me. If you want these balloons then tell me otherwise I will go to some other person, the light is about to turn green, tell me quickly if you want” she replied. There were only a few seconds left for the light to turn green, so I forced some money into her hand and moved our car forward. The girl has been left behind, on the way I was thinking about that girl.
In a short while I reached home. When I got out of the car and was locking it, I saw that there were many balloons lying on the back seat. Then I understood when I had put the money in the girl’s hand , she also placed some balloons on the back seat through the car window. I couldn’t believe that a girl standing at a signal could have so much self respect. After that I went through many signals and met many seekers , but I never found anyone like that girl.