Honesty Pays!

We often say that the modern world is not an ideal place for the honesty-lovers as corruption and dishonesty have become the order of the day. But, I feel that come what may honesty has always its own reward irrespective of age and environ. Honesty pays or even if it doesn't, it has its own gift - a solace that is not easy to attain and retain in this wicked world of materialism.
It so happened that I was to go to Shimla from Kumarsain. Getting no bus from the bus stand, I had to walk to the nearby high way. While I was ambling to and fro waiting for the bus, suddenly, a white gypsy stopped just before me and the driver offered lift to Shimla. I, with two or three other guys boarded the gypsy, which the driver told, belonged to some public representativel.
On the way, I was ruminating as to how much money the fellow was going to extort from me. Meanwhile, some two guys got down the veichle. They did not give any money to the driver nor did the latter ask for. I took it for that the guys might be known to the driver.
later the driver offered to drop us at the DC's office at shimla. I happily approved the Idea. He dropped us at the DC's office. While getting down the gypsy, I took out a hundred-rupee note and pushed it towards the driver. To my surprise the fellow said," Janab, Muzhe haram ke paise de kar paap na karao." (" Sir. please don't allure me to commit a sin by offering me unjustified money.") Hearing this from him, I was overwhelmed and I saluted him in the heart of my heart. He could have easily mustered about Rs 1,000 on that day, but perhaps his soul was alive. I often am reminded of the incident and it fills me with reverence for that driver and I would salute him as many times as I could.
On other occasion, I was taking my kids along with my wife to the hospital. We boarded a bus to the high way and got there down to get another to the hospital. My wife suddenly realised that the small lovely purse she had bought  for our little daugter Aparajita, was missing. After a brief husband-wife brawl, the matter was forgotten.
On one fine morning an unknown fellow tracked us down and told that he had got the purse that, he thoght, was Aprajita's. My little daughter dannced gleefully while my faith in honest way of living further got cemented. I had no reason to think against the thinking- Honesty pays!