The Secret of Happiness!!

The ticket collector came in and started checking people's tickets.

Suddenly, he looked and asked, 'What about your ticket?' 'Not you, madam, the girl hiding below your berth.

Hey, come out, where is your ticket?'

Someone was sitting below the berth of the lady with whom the collector was in conversation with.

When the collector yelled at her, the girl came out of hiding. She was thin, dark, scared, and looked like she had been crying profusely. She must have been about 13 or 14 years old. She had uncombed hair and was dressed in a torn skirt and blouse. She was trembling and folded both her hands.

The collector started forcibly pulling her out from the compartment. Suddenly, the woman had a strange discomforted demeanor and she stood up and called out to the collector.

'Sir, I will pay for her ticket,' She said.

Then he looked at her and said, 'Madam if you give her ten rupees, she will be much happier with that than with the ticket.'

She did not listen to him. She told the collector to give her a ticket to the last destination, Bangalore, so that the girl could get down wherever she wanted.

Slowly, she started talking. She told her that her name was Ruchira. She lived in a village near Maharashtra. Her father was a coolie and she had lost her mother at birth. Her father had remarried and had two sons with her stepmother.

But a few months ago, her father died. Her stepmother started beating her often and did not give her food. She did not have anybody to support her so she left home in search of something better.

By this time, the train had reached Bangalore. The lady said goodbye to Ruchira and got down from the train. The driver came and picked up her bags. She felt like someone was watching her. When she turned back, Ruchira was standing there and looking at her with sad eyes.

But there was nothing more that the lady could do. She had paid for her ticket out of compassion but she had never thought that Ruchira was going to be her responsibility!

She told Ruchira to get into her car. Her driver looked at Ruchira curiously. She told him to take them to her friend Ram's place.

Ram ran separate shelter homes for boys and girls. The lady thought Ruchira could stay there for some time and then they could talk about her future. Ram suggested that Ruchira could go to a high school nearby.

The lady said that she would sponsor Ruchira's expenses. She left the shelter knowing that Ruchira had found a home and a new direction in her life. She always enquired about Ruchira's well-being over the phone.

She was studying well and her progress was good.. She offered to sponsor her college studies if she wanted to continue studying. But she said, 'No, Akka. I have talked to my friends and made up my mind. I would do my diploma in computer science so that I can immediately get a job after 3 years.' She wanted to become economically independent as soon as possible.

Ruchira obtained her diploma & got a job in a software company as an assistant testing engineer. When she got her first salary, she came to the office of the lady with a sari and a box of sweets.

One day, she got a call from Ruchira. She was very happy. 'Akka, my company is sending me to USA! I wanted to meet you and take your blessings but you are not here in Bangalore.'

Years passed. Occasionally, she received an e-mail from Ruchira. She was doing very well in her career. She was posted across several cities in USA and was enjoying life.

The lady silently prayed that Ruchira should always be happy wherever she was.

Years later, the lady was invited to deliver a lecture in San Francisco for Kannada Koota, an organization where families who speak Kannada meet and organize events.

The lecture was in a convention hall of a hotel and she decided to stay at the same hotel.

After the lecture, she was planning to leave for the airport. When she checked out of the hotel room and went to the reception counter to pay the bill, the receptionist said, 'Ma'am, you don't need to pay us anything. The lady over there has already settled your bill.

She must know you pretty well.' She turned around and found Ruchira there.

She was standing with a young white man and wore a beautiful sari. She was looking very pretty with short hair. Her dark eyes were beaming with happiness and pride.

As soon as she saw her, she gave her a brilliant smile, hugged her and touched her feet.

The lady was overwhelmed with joy and did not know what to say.

She was very happy to see the way things had turned out for Ruchira. But she came back to her original question. 'Ruchira, why did you pay my hotel bill? That is not right.' Suddenly sobbing, she hugged her and said, 'Because you paid for my ticket from Bombay to Bangalore!'

Flash: If you want to Share Happiness and Help Other, You find a Way. As it is said - Where there is a Will, there is a Way. One of the best feelings in the world is giving. With just one act of kindness, you can inspire others to go out and plant seeds of happiness. Giving is good for you and your growth, personal/professional, and some of the most successful people have tapped into the power of giving.

Moral: A small gesture of help can change your life forever. Be helpful to people around. Do not turn your backs on those who are in need. Life is more accurately measured by the lives you touch than the things you acquire.

"Life laughs at you when you are unhappy. Life smiles at you when you are happy. But Life salutes you when you make others happy!!"