Moved by the love and affection shown by a rickshaw puller and his family, a woman in Cuttack has adopted the former’s family and gifted him all her jewellery, land and residential building worth ₹1 crore.
When Minati Patnaik in her sixties recently dictated her will about handing over her property to Budha Samal, who had served her family for two decades, it came as surprise to her extended family members and neighbours. But, Ms. Patnaik had no doubts about her decision.
In 2020, the elderly lady faced two back-to-back tragedies when her husband died of cancer and her only daughter succumbed to cardiac arrest six months later.
“After death of my husband and daughter, I was left alone. It was worst phase of my life. I experienced depression and extreme anxiety following departure of two souls closest to me. That was time when I required words of comforts from my relatives. But no one turned up,” she narrated.
But Mr. Samal never left her alone. She would find him waiting to carry out her instructions even at odd hours.
“I did not arrive at the decision to adopt Mr. Samal’s family and donate my properties suddenly. He used to take my daughter to her school and college since childhood. When health condition of my husband was deteriorating, he was always a call away to get medicines,” Ms. Patnaik recalled.
Mr. Samal, his wife and their two sons and their families had lived in the Siddheswarsahi area of the city but would come to Ms Patnaik’s home to take care of her. Three months ago, the latter asked Mr. Samal to move in with his family and stay with her in her three-storied building.
“Nowadays, the value of human life is nothing compared to houses made of bricks and mortar. Everyone is busying acquiring property. But, the love and compassion shown by Mr. Samal and his family drove me to a decision that I would spend rest of my life with them. The cost of property is nothing compared to their affection for me,” Ms. Patnaik said.
“When I decided to donate property to a rickshaw puller, I heard murmurs of disapproval in my extended family. They wanted me to gift it to any institution or government. I told them that I don’t know any government or institution. As Mr. Samal served me and family without desire of any return, I cannot leave him in despair,” she said.
The rickshaw puller, whose fate changed overnight, said he had not served the family anticipating anything in return. “I have been associated with Ms. Patnaik’s family for two decades. As humans, it is our duty to help persons when they are in distress. We just did our duty,” Mr. Samal said describing the senior citizen as the embodiment of humility, generosity, and compassion.
