Finding our Hearts

With a fantastic event last evening, Kaka thanks Anirban, on behalf of ReBirth’s Bharat Organ Yatra 2.0, to have hosted him. Imagin Community TV, one of the media team present at yesterday’s event, has uploaded the event on their channel. Deb Jyoti Mondol, a biker, has uploaded a raw video of Kaka’s interview on the highway.

Heavy rains delay Kaka’s departure. His early morning ride starts after a long wait, along with the peak morning traffic of the city. But without a complaint, Kaka takes a leave from Murshidabad and rides a good 141 kilometers to Malda, a district in West Bengal. 

At Malda, Kaka and B.O.Y. 2.0 are welcomed by the biker-host Kaushik and his wife, Pooja. Malda and Kaushik have ensured that Kaka gets enough rest today. A journalist is scheduled to interview Kaka at Kaushik’s home.

Meanwhile, Pooja’s parents join in Kaushik and Pooja as they felicitate Kaka. The parents have brought a surprise for Kaka… Having returned from Bihar last night from a wedding, they have bought a special sweet from Bihar just for Kaka’s welcome! Further, they insist that Kaka has breakfast at their place tomorrow before leaving Malda. Kaka happily obliges.

As destiny would have it, ReBirth’s ex-advocate, Mr Diwakar, is also currently in Malda. But, a professional commitment has directed him to leave for Kolkata in the evening. Wasting no time, Mr Diwakar – working as Prant Organising Secretary, Bhartiya Shikshan Mandal – rushes to Kaushik’s address just to meet Kaka! He chats with Kaka for a while and is thankful that he listened to his heart to meet Kaka despite his tight schedule…!

As evening dawns, the journalist enters Kaka’s room. Just like all the volunteers at ReBirth, this journalist has also found his heart’s social calling. Professionally, he may be a journalist; however, he also runs two NGOs – one for humans and another for street animals. He is intrigued by the mammoth task Kaka and ReBirth have collectively taken up. Convinced by ReBirth’s cause, he not only promises to publish the news in maximum newspapers and telecast on news channels, but also pledges to continue organ donation awareness programmes (in his capacity) in hospitals, social institutes, etc! His efforts for promoting B.O.Y. 2.0 are seen in the Uttar Banga Sambad, amongst others.

Over dinner, Pooja notices an empty disposable plastic bottle on Kaka’s bike. Without asking, she pulls it out and puts it away in her kitchen; her other hand fishes out a reusable bottle from a cabinet. She puts the bottle down near Kaka’s plate, “Plastic is banned in some of the North Eastern states. Please take this bottle with you tomorrow.”

And just like that, one gesture has transformed strangers into genuine friends. Kaka leaps further and crowns Pooja as her ‘beti’!

ReBirth’s backend team receives a notification from Pramod Mahajan. Kaka has shared another of the many posts of the past recent days. On appreciating his will to embrace technology, he modestly replies, “Oh, that’s not me! In the evenings as we chat, these bikers ask for my phone, stay engrossed for a while and hand back the gadget to me. I have absolutely no idea that I have an updated profile on Facebook!”

That’s the heart we are talking about… Just as we shout out to a passing bike of its threateningly hanging side-stand, why just stop there? Let us come together where humanity is needed more today.

Pledge a little of your time for a cause you like. Pledge a little of your life while you are alive!

Day 050
Murshidabad to Malda | 141 kms
– Juhi Kothari/Shetty