A routine auto ride to college turned into a heartwarming moment for a woman after she decided to buy a toy for her driver when she realised he could not afford it for his son.
(Also read: ‘Humanity still exists’: Bengaluru Uber auto driver helps woman with broken scooty)
Taking to Instagram, Tanvi Chandra shared a video recounting how her ₹300 auto ride nearly ended up costing her ₹1,000, but left her feeling happier than expected.
An unexpected moment at a red light
"So, my ₹300 auto ride almost ended up costing me ₹1,000. Story time: I was going to college in an auto, and we stopped at a red light. A man came over selling big toy vehicles, like mini tractors. I didn’t want one, so I said, “No, thank you.” But my auto driver stopped the man and asked, “Brother, how much is this?” The man said it was ₹550," Chandra recalled.
She said the driver appeared visibly disappointed after hearing the price.
{{/usCountry}}She said the driver appeared visibly disappointed after hearing the price.
{{/usCountry}}"The auto driver looked really disheartened because he couldn’t afford it. His face just dropped, and he said, “No, it’s okay. Never mind.” I felt so bad. The first thing that came to my mind was that we spend so much money so casually on things like Swiggy, Zomato and other stuff. So I thought, why don’t I help him? Why don’t I buy it for him?"
Chandra then bargained with the seller and managed to purchase the toy for ₹450.
Driver opens up about his son
What happened next made the gesture even more meaningful for her.
"You know, the auto driver didn’t even say thank you to me. Instead, he opened up about his family. He said, “My son always tells me, ‘Papa, you never bring anything for me. At least bring me something sometimes. You never give me anything.’” And that honestly broke my heart, bro. He even showed me pictures of his family. This was the best nearly ₹1,000 I’ve ever spent."
She shared the clip with the caption, "I went home happy though."
Watch the clip here:
Internet reacts to the gesture
The video received reactions from social media users, many of whom appreciated Chandra's spontaneous act of kindness.
"This is so wholesome," wrote one user. Another commented, "Humanity still exists." A third person said, "Such a beautiful gesture," while another imagined the driver's child's reaction and wrote, "His son will be so happy."
HT.com has reached out to the user for her comments, and the copy will be updated once her response is received.
(Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.)