KINDNESS REPAID !

Kindness repaid !

There lived a poor boy, named Dayasagar (aged 12 years), with his widowed mother in the village of Amaravathi on the bank of river Krishna. One day, Dayasagr, who was selling plastic toys and goods from door to door to pay his way through school, found he had only one rupee left, and he was thirsty and hungry. He decided he would ask for a meal at the next house.

However, he lost his nerve when a lovely young woman, Karunamayi, opened the door. Instead of a meal he asked for a drink of water.

She thought he looked very hungry so brought him a full plate of upma (wheat floor cooked with spices) . He ate it slowly, and drank water; then he asked, "How much do I owe you?"

"You don't owe me anything, "She replied." "Mother has taught us never to accept pay for a kindness." He said, then I thank you from my heart.

As Dayasagar left that house, he not only felt stronger physically, but his faith in God and man grew stronger also. He had been ready to give up and quit his faith.

35 years later that woman, Karunamayi became critically ill. The local doctors wer baffled. They finally sent her to the nearby big city, Guntur, where they called in specialists from a renowned private hospital to study her rare disease. Dr. Dayasagar was called in for the consultation. When he heard the name of the lady and the name of the village she came from, a strange light filled his eyes. Immediately he rose and went down the hall of the hospital to her room.

Dressed in doctor's gown he went into see her. He recognized her at once. He went back to the consultation room determined to do his best to save her life. From that day he gave special attention to the case.

After a long struggle, the battle was won. Dr. Dayasagar requested the accounts office to pass the final bill to him for approval.

He looked at it, then wrote something on the edge and the bill was sent to her room. She feared to open it, for she was sure it would take the rest of her life to pay for it all.

Finally she looked, and something caught her attention on the side of the bill.

She read these words... "Paid in full with one full plate of upma ! " (Signed) Dr. Dayasagar

Tears of joy flooded her eyes as her happy heart prayed: "Thank You, God, that your love has spread all over the world through human hearts and hands."