Right or Wrong? 

                           -Rounak Patil

It was a pleasant evening. I was happy, my brother was coming to meet home after a long time. My mother sent me to buy some sweets and snacks. I took my car and drove to market, bought some sweets and parked near a street vendor to buy the famous pakodas in town. it costed me 20 bucks per plate. I bought 2 plates and went to buy ice-cream. 

Just as I parked the car, I saw a family. An old mother, a middle aged man, a woman(his wife), and a poor looking child lying on his mother's lap. The moment I saw them, that man came to me with a view of need in his eye, a sign of hunger on his face and a want of help from me.

He arrived and said, "Sir, please help me. I've been fooled by a business man. he took all my money. Now I don't have any money to go back home. It'll be very kind of you if you provide me with some help. My son has a severe fever and I'm too ashamed to not have any money for hospital." His eyes got wet his heart was full of guilt and and sorrow for himself. I was not able to see the family like that anymore. I forget everything about the ice-cream. Rushed back to the car and drove back in a lonely place with a heavy heart of not helping them. 

I parked the car, laid myself on car bonnet looking towards sky, thinking  about the scenario that had just happened to me. I wished, I could've helped them in some way. I tried to hear my inner voice but it was mute too. I kept thinking for a long time. Calculated all the permutations and combinations, pros and cons and what not. Finally, I made up my mind to help them in whatever way I could. I started my car off and drove in a haste back to the ice-cream shop. 

Called that man. Took 40 bucks off my wallet, told him about the pakoda vendor and asked him to buy them for his family. Satisfactorily, I started to walk back to my car with feeling of contentment in my heart and a smile on my face. He too went back to his family.

Just I was about to drove back, that old lady, his mother, stopped me. I pulled down the window glass and asked her the reason. She was an old lady with wrinkles all over her face, shabby and torn clothes and in her eyes I could saw care for her family. I guessed she was there to say a heartily thank you for my help but her words then still tremble my mind sometimes. She said, "The money you have is not enough for the family. Please give some more". 
 Still I think " did I do right or wrong by giving them hope in form of money?"

Should I feel guilty or happy to help them.

Guilty I think.