Feeling pity for the old woman in the sun, the driver gave her a lift, but 10 minutes later, something terrible happened to the driver…
One summer afternoon, the asphalt road seemed to melt under the scorching sun. Manoj, a truck driver transporting goods from Delhi to his hometown in Uttar Pradesh, turned the air conditioner on full speed, but he still felt hot. On the NH44 highway, traffic gradually thinned, with only the constant hum of the engine and the whistling of wind coming through the cracks in the doors.

Suddenly, on the other side of the road, Manoj saw a seventy-year-old woman, her back bent, the corner of her faded sari hanging over her head, and she was carrying a heavy jute bag. Her steps were slow, as if she were tired.

Manoj slowed down and stopped the car:

-Old woman, it’s very hot, why are you walking alone? Come get in my car, I’ll give you some coolness.

The elderly woman hesitated for a moment, then nodded gratefully, her eyes shining with gratitude. Manoj got out to help her climb into the cabin. The cool air conditioning brought a sigh of relief.

As the car started moving, the elderly woman told me that she had just gotten off an intercity bus near Mathura and had been dropped off about 5 kilometers from home. She didn’t want to disturb anyone, so she intended to walk home. Manoj listened and smiled, relieved to have done a good deed.

Less than 10 minutes later, as the car passed a deserted stretch of road, the elderly woman frowned… sniffed lightly, and said:
– Sir, I smell something burning… like the smell of burning wire or rubber.

Manoj was startled for a moment. His nose was familiar with the smell of engine oil, but there was a truly strange burning smell. He quickly slowed down, pulled the car to a side, opened the door, and got out to inspect.

As he got out, Manoj noticed a faint smoke coming from the left rear wheel well. Leaning closer, he saw that the tire was unusually blistered, the rubber coating hot—just a few more kilometers of high speed could cause it to burst. Furthermore, a nearby electrical wire had rubbed against the frame, and the sheath was scorched, just touching the metal, and sparks were bound to fly.

If the old woman hadn’t reminded him, Manoj would have continued running further toward the ghat—where there were steep slopes and sharp turns. If a tire had burst or a short circuit had touched the engine oil at that time, the consequences would have been unpredictable.

He sighed, his heart still pounding:

– Grandpa… Thank God you smelled it. Otherwise… who knows what would have happened.

The old woman smiled gently:

“I’m old, my nose is very sensitive. I can immediately detect any strange smell.”

Thankfully, there was a small garage nearby. Manoj called them to bring tools. While waiting, the old woman took a bottle of water from her bag and handed it to him.

“Drink, it’s so hot you’ll get tired quickly.”

Manoj took it with gratitude and respect. He thought he was just helping the old woman get to the car, but he saved her life.

About an hour later, the tire was patched, the wires replaced, and the system checked. Manoj led the old woman to the village entrance. Before getting off the car, he handed her some custard apple fruits in a jute bag:

Homegrown, not much, but hearty. Accept this to make me happy.

” Manoj initially refused, but the elderly woman insisted. He accepted with a smile, and warmth spread throughout his body.

That afternoon, as the car sped along NH44, Manoj kept thinking about what she had said:

Sometimes, helping others is also helping yourself.

And he knew that from now on, whenever he saw someone in need on the road, he would never hesitate.