Man Pays For Tired, Elderly Couple's Meal On Their First Ever Flight, Inspires Others To 'Always Be Kind'

Nov 04, 2022 by apost team

It’s impossible not to witness acts of kindness in everyday situations. Whether it be at home or at work, kindness is a lot more common than one might think. Admittedly, though, there are acts of kindness that will make you feel emotional. But no matter how small or big the gesture is, it’s not hard to repay an act of kindness. In fact, a simple appreciation can go a long way.

Amitabh Shah, who works as Chief Inspiration Officer for a company in India, shared an inspiring story on LinkedIn about his encounter with a couple on a flight to the city of Kanpur.

Shah explained that the couple had a long and tiring journey from a remote village. It took them 8 hours of travel by bus alone to get to the Delhi airport where they boarded a flight to Kanpur.

He said that he could tell by the look on their faces that it was their first time riding a plane so he figured he should help them.

“I saw them in the boarding area completely clue-less and could tell it was their first time & they didn’t understand English. I walked up to them with a smile and asked them to simply follow me,” he said.

Shah then jokingly added that the couple thought he worked for the flight after he offered assistance.

“Inside the flight, they were seated just in front of me. The aunty asked me - ‘Can you please take our picture and send it to our daughter who has a phone (with) Whatsapp - so she knows we are safe?’ I took this pic & sent,” he said.

He then shared that the couple declined when the flight attendant came to offer and serve them food. But he noticed that they were feeling hungry and thirsty. So, he told the attendant to offer the couple food. But instead of telling them that it came from him, he asked the flight attendant to tell them they were simply lucky customers who won free meals during the flight. 

“When the air hostess came to serve food, they declined but clearly seemed hungry and thirsty for hours. I told the air hostess to give them paneer sandwiches and juices (and) to tell them it was complimentary as they were lucky customers to win a free meal,” he said.

Shah also made it clear that he paid for the food and made sure they were not looking at him when he did it.

“Of course, I paid for it when they were not seeing. They simply ‘smiled’ at me as we landed and went our own ways,” he remarked.

Shah also encouraged everyone to do the same and be kind whenever there is a chance.

“We should always be kind at every opportunity we get and trust me opportunities to be kind are all around YOU, aren’t they?”

Meanwhile, Shah received words of praise from his fellow countrymen for making the couple feel comfortable during their flight. 

“Wonderful gesture. Making fellow ‘Indians’ comfortable in India is the primary responsibility of us all who can. Considering the description of the couple they must surely be feeling out of place despite being in their own country and among their ‘own’,” one user wrote in the comments section of his post. 

“Appreciate the good gesture, really commendable to be subtle and bring joy to the people,” another user wrote.

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Were you inspired by the kind gesture by Amitabh Shah to the couple? Let us know your thoughts and pass this on to your family and friends who might love to read this story!