Read the short story below:

It was a rather rainy day ….. The rain was heavy, as I heard the leaves dripping with water... It was a wonderful experience sitting at my verandah, just enjoying the weather and suddenly, at a distance, I saw a figure walking towards my cottage. I was feeling a sudden tightness in my chest… I was curious, frightened and taken aback. A thousand questions flooded my mind.

Suddenly, that figure came to my house. I was surprised to see a frail and fragile old lady, in her sixties, who looked very weak and sick … I wondered how she walked so far just to my cottage? What could the reason be? I approached her gently, putting an umbrella over our heads, and said with calm composure, “Hey, old lady! Are you alright? What are you doing here?"

“Hey, young lady, I do not mean to bother you, but I have been kicked out of my house and I have nowhere to go, I walked over miles and my feet are sore, I saw your cottage from a mile … and I thought to go and ask for help since someone might be there and I know, I am a stranger but I just need a place to stay for the night, Will you be so kind to take me in?"

She replied, in an unconsolable tone and crying. I immediately felt a deep sense of empathy, hugged her, and took her in. I made sure she had a good nice hot bath, gave her new clothes and jewellery, and then I tended to her feet.

Looking at them, I was very heartbroken. I noticed thorns and immediately tended to them. I plucked out the thorns one by one and cleaned her wounds and bandaged them and gave her food and a nice cup of tea, after which she lit up, as if a sky filled with stars,and thanked me for my generosity and while she was eating her meal, I could not help

but ask, “ I hope you liked your meal .. So, I do not mean to pry but, What is the reason that you were thrown out of the house? “

“Well, I lived with my husband, practically all my life. We were affluent and had a happy life. My husband started a school for the underprivileged children as he always believed that the greatest wealth is not money, but rather kindness and the big impact our small actions can make. The school was so full of life; young children were so happy, both boys and girls, learning and thriving. Everything was going well until my husband got very sick.

I was so worried and devastated that I did everything I could just to help him out, took on jobs, cleared my health insurance and sold my gold jewellery and my sarees. But unfortunately, He passed … I was heartbroken and exhausted, with all the debts from my husband's medical bills. They piled up so much that I ended up getting evicted from my house… And that's how I ended up here … The school, my husband, our wealth, I lost it all”

Hearing her story made me cry and hug her … Then I got an idea. An idea to make her life better and bring back happiness into her life. So, I went up and got the Sarpanch of my district involved. I told him the old lady’s story, and as the kind man he was, He was incredibly moved by her story and decided to help me out . Over a period of time, we managed to get all funds allocated into rebuilding the school building that her husband opened, We worked day and night just to get the school up and running again, all with Sarpanch and the villager’s support and like that, The school was made advanced with all the new technologies - a computer room, a gymnasium, a swimming pool, air conditioned offices and classrooms with projectors and a theater hall and everything you could imagine in a modern -day school, but set in a village district. It was beautiful and brand new, and now it was time….

And six months later, it was the school's grand reopening. All the children and adolescents of the village gathered together with their parents … I took the old lady, all dressed up in a new saree I gifted her, and we all reopened the school again. It was indeed a happy occasion, and the memory of seeing her gleam with immense happiness still warms my heart till today.

I took her to the principal’s office, all brand new and comfortable. She held my hand and asked, “ What is this place, my dear? Why have you taken me here ? What is the surprise ?”

I smiled and said, “ Well, Maaji, this is your surprise...” I took her to the principal's seat and sat her down, and as she got overwhelmed with joy, “ From this day forward, this is your new office .. You are the school principal now, and I believe that you are the best person for this role and can turn your husband's vision into reality, A vision where kindness will prevail in the forces of darkness. This seat will give you the power and the love to make small actions that will leave a big impact"

Upon hearing this, she cried and said, “ My husband was right all along … It is the small actions that make a big difference and impact. God bless you, my dear! Thank you so much!"