I met Sony by mere coincidence. Some meetings are predestined. Due to my penchant for writing, I sit for long hours typing on my laptop. At times my laptop misbehaves and I am at a loss. During one such moment, my PA suggested contacting Sony. On the other end of the phone, I heard a warm cheerful voice. A meeting was arranged for the next day. At the appointed time Sony arrived, a back-pack slung around his shoulder and a huge grin on his face. His very presence brightened me up. He worked on my laptop for two hours and during that time we had a lively, jovial chat amongst him, my PA and me. Once repaired Sony got up to leave. When I asked him how much I owed him for his services, he waved me aside and said nothing. I was surprised and when I insisted once again and was amazed by his answer that he had spent a delightful and happy morning chatting with me and that was more than any payment. Sony left with a happy gait in his feet, back-pack slung on his shoulders and a grin on his face.
As time passed, Sony and I met and spoke to each other regularly. Sony was a professional computer engineer who had worked in Dubai for several years and returned to India to spend time when his mother fell ill. He took a part-time job of four hours a day and in the time available to him thereafter was spent attending to his ill mother and spending quality time with his wife and two children. He also attended two or three clients in a day for computer repairs. Sony gave up a lucrative job because he realized that money was necessary and instead chose to prioritise relationships. Sony had taken a choice to be happy and make others happy and was determined to succeed in this choice which he had made to live his life.
In today's materialistic world, power, status, recognition in society are determined by money. Personal character, integrity, loyalty are relegated to non-essentials. I had met a man who had taken a choice to relegate money the place it was due and spread joy and happiness around him through good relationships. A man who no doubt would have a deep impact on the people he met. A man who would spread happiness where ever he went. Undoubtedly, the type of people we needed in the world. I had been very fortunate.