algorithmic randomizations !

13th Feb, Mumbai-Hyderabad Express  AS1 ..
    I sat ,cursin my fate,my back ached cos of all the travellin i had been doing.Lunch done,i went to throw the wrappers in the dustbin. The train moved on slowly ..from one unknown station to another ...
     This vendor came by,with a few shiny things in his hand.I wondered why people even bothered trying to sell anything on a train .A waste of time i believed it was..bad business strategy i believed it was ..why would anybody buy anything but food on a train ...books ..toys .. on a train ...why ????
     He was selling hair bands.I looked at them ...they were cute ..pretty black and white things with little flowers on them ..my lil sister wudve liked them ...He had a bag full of them ..he held a few in his hand ...held the bag on the same hand ...he looked uncomfortable ...my eyes scanned him to look for the cause ..my heart sank as i found it ..he didnt have an arm ..

    I ran back to my compartment ...told my mom ..and when he came there ..we bought two of those from him ..(10 bucks ) .i felt nice ..like i had done my bit ...he went only a little further ..his station had arrived i guessed ...nobody else bothered to even acknowledge his presence ..he hurried towards the exit ..he went past me ..and then came back and put another band on my lap ..i looked at him ..this expression asking him why ..a very very sad why ..'Keep it!' ..he said ..and got off the train ...leaving me without a chance to even say thank you ...I felt miserable ...and helpless ..I had pitied him and made an insignificant purchase ...but he emerged as the bigger person ...
  I may never see him again ...but he taught me what is probably one of life's most important lessons ...that of self worth ..of contentment in distress ..and most importantly ..of goodness in adversity ..thank you and God bless ..