No act of kindness is ever wasted (1248)

Kittu, a charming young boy hardly 17, knew very well that he was not a normal young teen like others of his age but very different from his siblings and others. He was given to criminal ways even at this young age. He bore no grudge, however, when people in the locality including his family members spoke ill of him. He knew they were right in thinking that he had brought shame to his family and was an unwelcome member of the locality.

 He fell into bad ways and wrong company from a very young age when he started smoking thrown-away cigarettes. He stole from his dad’s purse and filched things in the house to get money from the pawnbroker. He started drinking cheap liquor whenever he had money from picking pockets and snatching mobile phones/chains.

 He was at the bottom of his class that he was doing second time. He was severely warned by the school authorities when he wrote a love letter to his teacher. He was rusticated when he kissed a girl of his class in the presence of all in the corridor as they were coming out of the class. Even at that young age, he visited whores much older than him. He posed as a rich man in stolen cars and duped several girls promising marriage. He was into drugs too. To make matters worse, he had a deep scar on his jaw to mar his handsome face somewhat in a scuffle with rowdy elements

Little wonder that his parents and siblings disowned him and avoided him completely, till one day his dad hit him with his belt ordering him to get out of his sight and the house forever. The memory of his helpless mother with tears trickling from her eyes was still vivid in his mind.

He had no regret that he had not made his family proud of him. With the passage of years, all his siblings settled in life and had nice small families. His eldest brother Raju had always a soft corner for him being the youngest in the family. He had often pleaded with him in vain to mend his ways. Even after Kittu left them, Raju used to give him some money whenever they met on the road and would tell him that the doors of his house were always open, if only, he changed to honourable ways.

However much, Kittu respected and liked him, he could not change himself. Life was alternating between good and hard times for him depending on his illegal earnings. There were nights when he splurged in good restaurants and nights when he had to sleep hungry. He had no decent place to live and kept changing to nearby towns like a nomad as the police were hounding him. He had already done some small terms in the prison. Years flew by and he was leading a humdrum life in an adjacent town.

Kittu came to know one evening from an acquaintance that his brother Raju was in the hospital in a critical condition. He thought of his good-natured wife and their three young children. Raju was not well off and his family depended solely on his monthly salary. Kittu became restless and took the next bus to his town. Luckily, he had hit pay dirt a week back when he filched with his nimble fingers a thick wallet from a careless rich man dozing in the mall. Money was no problem.

It was past 7 pm when he reached the hospital. He saw his parents, Raju’s wife and other brothers in the lounge with grim faces turned away from him. His mother was seen weeping. Except for her and Raju’s wife, everyone showed their scorn for him. Both of them dared not speak to him in the presence of his dad who had nothing but contempt for him.

 His dad came to him and said in a curt tone “You are not wanted here. Please go away.”

 Kittu replied, “This is a public place and I do not require your leave to stay here.” His dad turned abruptly and left in a huff.

Kittu went to the nurse sitting in the workstation and told her that he was Raju’s close friend and that he had come to help him in any manner if only he knew what his problem was. She thought for a while and said,” The patient is suffering from chronic renal failure of both kidneys. He has become too weak even for dialysis. Immediate transplantation of the kidney was the only option to save him. The one snag was his unusual blood group which posed a problem in getting donors readily. The blood groups of the willing family members did not match. The situation has become critical as the patient had fallen into a coma.”

It was then the senior surgeon attending to his brother entered. Kittu accosted him despite protests from the nurse and told him,” Doctor, I am patient's very close friend and a single. I am a healthy individual and am willing to donate voluntarily out of my affection for him one of my kidneys immediately. I would request you to check the compatibility of our blood groups. I am willing to sign any required form. Kindly do the needful immediately.”

 After thinking for a few moments, the surgeon readily agreed and explained the procedure.

“My only stipulation is that my identity should not be revealed under any circumstances to the patient or his family,” he pleaded. The surgeon assured him and asked him to get admitted the next day itself.

Things went smoothly thereafter. With the tests revealing compatibility, one of his healthy kidneys was removed and successfully transplanted to him. In a fortnight his brother was discharged and certified as fit. Kittu too was discharged in a few days.

Kittu learnt from the doctor that the patient’s parent and his family wanted to know the name and whereabouts of the benefactor for them to thank and reward him suitably and that he had declined to part with the information.

Raju himself requested the surgeon to give some clues about his benefactor.

“I am bound by my promise to him not to reveal his name or identity. You are embarrassing me with this request,” the surgeon replied. When he saw his patient’s face fall, he said,” I can only tell this much that he had a scar and I refuse to answer any further questions.” The surgeon did not fail to notice a faint smile on Raju’s face.

The effects of surgery had left Kittu weak and exhausted. He could not go out for nearly two months to do the shady work he was accustomed to. As a result, perhaps, there were no policemen after him to worry about. He observed his heart was filled with hitherto unknown happiness that he could do one good turn to his brother who was kind to him and he wondered what magic it could do if the kindness could reach more deserving people. As a sense of sincere contrition passed through his heart, Kittu felt an unusual peace and calm descend on him.

He decided to meet his brother soonest and confide in him his resolution to turn a new leaf and seek his help in finding him a suitable job to lead his own life separately in honourable ways. He could visualise his mother’s face suffused with joy at the return of the prodigal.