The Heart of a Willing

“It was a one of a moment, a moment I laid eyes on her; I knew she hasn't come here to give up. She has come here to fight, to win and to get things done”……

It was a clear bustling day at a local bank while I waited by the chair looking up at the LED screen which was supposed to indicate my token number soon. While I kept looking up at it, I heard this noise by the door slamming open and I saw two short people coming into the bank. While they moved in slowly, I could see the crowd slowly giving way as they both passed by. When they finally reached the counter I realized why all the eyes were on both of them.

Rani a short female in her twenties suffered from polio and her right leg was completely paralyzed. She was accompanied by her husband who looked like he was in his thirties and he also was a victim of polio and he suffered a complete paralysis of his lower body and limbs. His limbs were useless and the only way he was able to move was using his hands as he hobbled across the bank floor. It was quite a heart wrenching sight for me to watch what has happened to both of them and I sat there thinking what it would be a world without legs. A world where you cannot run, play, hide and do all the things and have all the fun you can. Tenably a world so unimaginable by all means for a person like me for who I am. But yet I saw in front of me two living mortals who have come a long way beyond to what I was thinking was totally inconceivable.

While Rani, slowly limped her way into the counter, her husband sat over by the pillar. He had no hint of what was yet to come or who she is talking to; but apparently they have come here to win a big battle up front. For the first time I heard Rani talking. She has a very creaky voice and she was asking the bank official about something. And for about ten minutes I could see both she and the bank official on a neck to neck argumentation but in the end I guess nothing really went the way she wanted. She looked upset and raging with anger. Her eyes spoke her entire emotion but she didn’t know how to carry it on from there. She asked the Bank official if there is something else which can be done. And the Bank official gladly denied any assistance. Rani just took all the documents from the counter and fled towards the bank door. She turned back and yelled at her husband “Why are you still sitting there, don’t you know it’s our fate?”

When he heard that, he slowly used his hands and tried hitching his way towards the door.

And then a voice said “Token Number: 313 – Counter 5” I looked at my token and it was the same number.
I got up and walked towards the counter 5, where just seconds before Rani and her husband were having a big discussion. As I stood there waiting for my transaction to happen, I heard a loud noise, a slam on the door and as I looked on, I saw Rani and she came inside pulling along her husband by the floor. She came straight towards the counter, pushed me aside and yelled out “I am a 28 year old un-educated, ugly looking, polio paralyzed home maker trying to make a living out of a tailoring and I have a husband who is a 35 year old, un-educated, fully paralyzed, and ineffectual by all means. All I am asking for is a ` 2 lakh loan which I will pay in 3 years, if this huge bank can’t even afford a simple loan for their helpless customer where will people like me go?” How can we live a life, don’t you guys have a heart to help us both in struggling and coming up in our lives” Don’t you ever hope for a better tomorrow?

Just because we’re paralyzed and un-educated is this how we get treated in this world ?

For reasons we aren’t even to be blamed off! And if we always get treated like this how will this country ever grow? The whole bank was silent for a few minutes and then people just kept looking at each other’s faces, while Rani held her husband’s hands and cried. While the silence still prevailed, an old man got up and went up to them. He asked the bank official what was the issue. It apparently made us clear that the couple did not make enough income to be eligible for a loan from the bank. When I knew this I felt very saddened. I understood that even though we try seeing things in ways of our own, the world is quite a changed place for people who are physically challenged.

The old man spoke to her and guided her towards the Branch manager, and he too followed the couple to the Managers cabin. Even though my work at the bank was over, I still sat there thinking what would be the outcome of this journey these two have aimed for. I sat there for around an hour, trying to look into those screens where the couple was having quite a tear filled harrowing experience of trying to make the Manager understand how important it was for them to have this loan and start their tailoring business for the future. Having listened to all their happenings throughout this aim of getting a loan, the old man from his side, also supported them with mental assistance and made them speak their points louder amidst the cabin.

Finally, an hour had passed and Rani came out of the cabin crying and wiping her tears. She took her shawl and wiped her tears and looked down at her crying husband, she took her cloth again and wiped his eyes and said “Am here for you, why you even cry?”

When I listened to that, my heart faded into an emotional tolerance. The love, the harmony, the allegiance and the trust she had on him and on herself was immense. I loved to watch them console each other. They had no world for them together, but they had all of their each other”.

It’s true people… “Minds shake up the world, Love moves it“

While I saw all this happening, they both came back to the counter and were given some forms to be filled up. While they looked around helplessly, I walked up to them and told her, I’d do it for her. She smiled at me and thanked from her heart. She giggled and said, all this cry and I know God never lets me down. I smiled back and said “Have Faith, that’s all you need”.

I slowly took all the time I had and filled the form one after the other, and finally when the forms were done. I gave her and said “Good Luck and hope your business starts well”. She said I will remember what you told me to do “Have Faith, and that’s all what am left with”

I finally gave all the copies and made my way out of the Bank with a heart filled with satisfying thoughts that somewhere out there, someone’s life has got a little better than yesterday. I looked up and thanked God and opened the door to leave. While the door closed I looked and I saw Rani smiling and signing the forms in front of the Bank official. When I saw her face, I just had one thought for that moment…. “It was one of a moment, a moment I laid eyes on her; and I knew she hasn’t come here to give up. She has come here to fight, to win and to get things done…… And she did ! "

"In the end, we are all one - or at least we should be - and it is our job, our duty, and our great challenge to fight the voices of division and seek the salve of reconciliation. ” - Roy Barnes