When I was a kid, one day I was returning home from my tuition class on a wintry night back in India. I was walking alone on a deserted road. A rickshaw puller pulled up from behind and asked me where I was going. I was surprised as I wasn’t looking for a rickshaw. I told him where I was going. He asked me to hop on. I did, reluctantly. I was worried if he asked me to pay, I didn’t have any money on me. When the rickshaw reached our house I asked him to stop. I got off the rickshaw. He didn’t ask for money, he just sped away.

As you can imagine rickshaw pullers are poor people who work hard all day pulling rickshaw carts to ferry people. This rickshaw puller that night was probably returning home from his day’s work and saw me walking alone on a deserted road. He took pity on me and wanted to help without expecting anything in return.

I stand on the shoulders of many such people who helped me when I wasn’t looking for help.

I stand on the shoulders of many such people who helped me when I wasn’t looking for help. I am blessed to have parents, teachers, friends and sometimes strangers who stood by me when I needed help. I can’t pay them back. This is my effort to pay it forward.