Small Gestures, Big Smiles
For a short period of time, I was living alone at home. Around that time, I had a small health issue, and the doctor suggested I quit non-veg and make coconut water and buttermilk a regular part of my diet. There’s an aunty near my place who sells coconuts. I’ve known her since childhood, and she’s always been the kind of person who greets you with a smile. Since I was on my own, I started visiting her shop almost every other evening after work. It became a small routine. I’d have a coconut and spend some time chatting with her. Our conversations would drift from the village to politics to random everyday things. One day, she offered me a sweet, telling me it was her wedding anniversary. She’s almost my mother’s age, a hardworking woman who spends nearly 8–9 hours at her shop every day. Normally, she sold coconuts for ₹50, but for me, it was always ₹40. That small gesture always felt special. This routine went on for a while until I started having coconuts less frequently, and eventual...