Arjun woke up cursing weekends like a typical bored software engineer (which he is). Why wouldn’t he be? 24 hour is a really long bunch of hours to kill, for anyone, let alone an engineer (need I add the ‘software’ prefix?). And off he goes, killing the first 10 hours of the day, by shamelessly trying to push himself back to Slumberville, though Slumberville had chased him out of its ‘gang’ 3 hours back. I did say shamelessly. Didn’t I?
He then tries to take things as slowly as possible. Now now !! Wait!! We are talking about ‘THINGS’ – real mundane things – like brushing the teeth, making your toast (Oh k! Forgive that non-Desi version. read toast as filter kaapi/dosa, chai/chapati), newspaper (the most boring of all the time-killers invented), stroll on the empty road and many such ‘things’.
I am not getting into the knitty-gritty details of all the other things that Arjun did to kill the 24 hours, that he had. Every weekend was the same. After noon pizzas were cold and he did not bother to take a shower until it was close to four or five in the evening. And the rest of the day went in Facebooking!
That day, Arjun, vowed to make a difference to his usually mundane weekend. So far no luck 
While Arjun was completely aware of this very fact, he did try his level best. It was just that there was nothing, that could actually make a difference. He did not count girlfriend for a difference (the smart guy that he is ). Sticking to his routine, Arjun opened those gates of that virtual world that actually connects everyone now (Yeah! Right! Facebook was just one of the rooms in that monstrous villa that everyone calls Internet, with Google being the huge drawing hall). Little did Arjun know that the difference was indeed awaiting him there in the otherwise pointless status updates of most of his friends.
While Arjun was completely aware of this very fact, he did try his level best. It was just that there was nothing, that could actually make a difference. He did not count girlfriend for a difference (the smart guy that he is ). Sticking to his routine, Arjun opened those gates of that virtual world that actually connects everyone now (Yeah! Right! Facebook was just one of the rooms in that monstrous villa that everyone calls Internet, with Google being the huge drawing hall). Little did Arjun know that the difference was indeed awaiting him there in the otherwise pointless status updates of most of his friends. One status read, “Emergency : 5 units of A-ve blood required for 12 consecutive days for a friend who met with an accident, now admitted at Dilawar Hopsital – Contact Person : Mr. Gupta, Phone number : 9610212345. Pass it on to your friends. Please don’t ignore. This might save a life.”
Arjun did not want to just copy/paste that message. Striving to make THE difference, he called up his friend whose blood group was A negative. What follows is the conversation between Arjun and his equally bored friend, Yousuf.
Arjun : Dude! Can you come with me to Dilawar Hospital? There’s an emergency. A certain Mr. Gupta or his relative, needs A negative. Can you?Yousuf : Well… I think I can. I will get ready in sometime. Gimme the details yaar.Arjun : Wait! Will send you the link. (10 seconds later) Done!!Yousuf : Got it!! But Arjun! I’ve never made a blood donation before. And I dunno what it takes mahn!Arjun : All it takes is humanity yaar. Listen.. You ok with it right? I really don’t wanna force you into this. If you are not willing to donate your blood, I ..Yousuf : No.. No No! Nothing of that sort !! Ok! I will get ready for my first blood donation man. Am glad that am being part of saving someone’s life. You get your bike here. Let’s go to this hospital, wherever it is and do what we can.Arjun : Well! I am glad too! Get ready! I will be there in another half an hour.(Half an hour later. At Yousuf’s place)Arjun : So! Let’s go! Yousuf. You ok?Yousuf : Arjun.. Well.. Err…Arjun : Are you hesitating? Yeah right!! (with that sarcastic warmth in his tone) What did you trade your principles or values for in half an hour? Fear? Selfishness?Yousuf : Will you just stop for a sec. I called up this Mr. Gupta.Arjun : And you got scared. Huh?
Yousuf : I said, ‘Shut up!’. He wanted the blood for his 6 year old son. Wanted – like 7 months back. Unfortunately, they did not get enough units of them,and the boy died.Arjun : WHAT?Yousuf : Yeah! You heard me! And the worst part, he is getting phone calls almost every 2nd day from people all over the city, coming forward to donate blood. Can you just imagine how much of pain, this Mr. Gupta must be going through now? Like the loss of his son’s life was not enough!!
What followed was a deep, eerie silence of two people who wanted to make a difference. Well! What they tried tobe was, just being human. The next part of their weekend, was just the same routine, with a heavy heart. May be, that was one hell of a difference.
So folks, whoever you are, if you are reading this and if you come across such forwards, think twice before your emotions reign you, when it comes to a humanitarian act, ESPECIALLY when it comes to a humanitarian act. You never know, that person whose life you are trying to save, might just be fit enough to be amused by those messages begging to save his/her life that are forwarded infinite times a day or might just not exist. In either case, it doesn’t take you any closer to THAT HUMAN whom you strive to be. It is natural to act impulsively when it comes to such sensitive issues. Watch out! Sometimes, even humanity can hurt! And at other times, even what is not said (or forwarded) can make a difference 
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