Altaf, a Mumbai auto-rickshaw driver, as usual, started his morning with his auto-rickshaw. But on that particular morning, something weird happened that was surprising to him but perhaps more overwhelming for the passenger he took that day.
On that early morning, Shubham Gune was his passenger; Shubham Gune is the Founder and CEO of Hinglish(An advertising agency and training academy). However, as Shubham was about to pay the fare through Google Pay, he accidentally transferred ₹15,682 instead of ₹156 to Altaf's account.
It was around 7:00 a.m. in the early morning; CEO Shubham Gune was in a hurry because he had an important client meeting to attend. The international client had come to Mumbai for only one day, and they had scheduled the meeting at 7 am that day. That meeting was very important for Mr Gune, and he was already running late. He never realised what mistake he had made.
Mr Gune had just made the payment and immediately went to attend the meeting. Neither did he check the amount he pressed, nor did he check the submit or pay now option even once.
But unfortunately, the meeting did not go well as he thought. Mr Gune lost the deal. This meeting really meant a lot to him, and the time was also limited. He did not even imagine that one after the other, his morning would get worse. Luck was not in his favour that day! Mr Gune finally realised that he had made a huge mistake during his auto-rickshaw ride. Needless to say, the situation he was facing at that time, his mental condition was totally down and depressed.
However, as soon as he stepped outside the meeting, he saw Altaf standing outside; he was literally surprised to see him at that time. Altaf quickly approached him and informed him about the wrong transaction. Altaf immediately returned the entire amount that had been transferred by mistake. Though the actual fare for the ride was only ₹156, Altaf did not calculate much and directly transferred the full amount to Mr Gune. Initially, Mr Gune was in shock at Altaf’s behaviour; one after the other, he could not get it what was happening with him, but Altaf told him why he was waiting for him.
Grateful and relieved, the CEO, Mr Gune, returned Altaf the fare and insisted that he accept it. He also said that Altaf had spent his valuable time just for him and had missed other passengers during that time period. The CEO said to Altaf that he should take his money because he had earned it. But Altaf politely refused.
With a smile, he simply replied, “It’s the start of the day for both of us, sir.”
Though the incident was strange for both of them, for Altaf, that fare amount of 156 rupees was not a big deal; he proved that money is not everything, life happens and moving forward is the best choice.
Luckily, seven days later, the international client again contacted Shubham Gune and expressed their interest in moving forward with the project. The opportunity he thought he had lost was suddenly back on the table. It was nothing less than a miracle for him; totally surprised, Shubham Gune accepted the offer and then immediately thought of Altaf.
To show his appreciation, Shubham Gune later gifted Altaf ₹500. He explained that Altaf had never asked for anything in return. The amount was simply a token of gratitude.
Later, Mr Gune shared his experience on social media.
The story soon went viral. A simple typing error, a few seconds of distraction, or even a minute's delay can have unexpectedly significant outcomes. Though it has happened all positive for Shubham Gune and Altaf, the story can be different for everyone; nobody knows.
Altaf could easily have kept the money. In today's world, where people are struggling for a job and facing financial difficulties, Altaf refused to keep the money to himself; instead, he waited for the passenger to return his money. Because real happiness and peace are in staying true to oneself, not in using others’ stuff.
Altaf's honesty and actions proved that no matter the academic education, money or social status, behaviour and humanity are what show a person’s real education. Responsibility, morals and ethics are learned. Upbringing by family, knowledge and wisdom show the path, the path of truth and integrity.
It also teaches people that it is always good to stay happy with what one already has, not keeping others' belongings which were never theirs. Being true to oneself is the sign of strength. Because things can happen to anybody and at any time, staying careful is the only option.
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