The National Capital is infamous as the crime capital of the country. Reports, stories, and news, all point to the fact. Therefore, when an act of kindness in Delhi gets reported, it goes viral. Just like a Facebook post about three men coming to the rescue of a couple stranded in a flooded by-lane.
For Rajeev Chawla and his wife Shalini, a regular Friday night in Delhi turned into a nightmare until Jagjit, Satnam, and Gurmeet helped them.
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“This happened on the evening of 4 October 2019. My wife and I were out and it was raining. I assumed the rain will stop eventually. We were on a road to Gurgaon and just as we turned into a lane, we found ourselves on a flooded road,” says Rajeev.
Rajeev mentions how the car started floating within minutes. “It was scary,” he recollects. Realising that the situation was not going to get any better, Rajeev and his wife decided to get out of the car and find shelter nearby.
“We pushed the door open and managed to get out. There were a lot of people standing along the sides, some of whom were hooting, catcalling. In fact they were making fun of pretty much everything that was passing by, including us,” recalls Rajeev.
There were at least a 100 people standing under the bridge and Rajeev says that not one of them came forward to help or even empathised.
“We found a shop where we took shelter and while the shopkeeper was first apprehensive of letting me in, on seeing my wife with me, he relented,” says Rajeev.
With buses and cars still passing by, their car could have posed a danger to them. Just as Rajeev stepped onto the road to get the car to a safe spot, three men volunteered to help him.
“Jagjit, Satnam, and Gurmeet were the three men who came forward to help me. They pushed the car while I manoeuvred the steering,” says Rajeev. They helped moved the car about 400 meters away. Once the car was parked in a safer spot, the three of them got busy with helping others who needed help.
“There was one more taxi in a similar situation and all four of us then helped that driver. These guys also cleared up the road to ensure that the buses could continue passing without creating a jam,” says Rajeev.
While this incident took place 20 days ago, Rajeev says that thinking about the situation scares him even now. “The water was beyond filthy; mixed with all kinds of rubbish and drainage waste.”
The Better India got in touch with Jagjit, one of the men who helped Rajeev, who says, “The three of us came forward to help because that was just the right thing to do. I imagined myself being stuck in a situation like that with my wife and did what I thought I would expect others to do for me.”
And yet, there were people who stood there watching it all but doing nothing. Jagjit says, “I saw so many people standing and laughing, making videos, and placing bets on which small car would float next. It was like some exciting thing for all of them.”
“There will always be enough people to stand on the sides and watch, there are very few who will take the initiative to do something or help. It’s those people who restore our faith in humanity and keep hope alive,” shares Rajeev.
If not for the three good Samaritans, Rajeev and Shalini would have had a very tough time. These three men showed that it does not matter if you in Delhi or any other metro city, it does not take much to help our fellow beings. Lend a helping hand, who knows when you might need one yourself.
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(Edited by Saiqua Sultan)