Being a Magician for a day

I was in a departmental store this evening, a little while ago. While I browsed the different racks, I saw a small family of mother, father and son hovering close by. From what I could guess it was perhaps their first visit to a departmental store. The boy about 8 years, was completely starry eyed and it was clear that the parents wanted to indulge him.

The entire family were without slippers( you probably get the picture..describing the lack of anything else seems a bit distasteful)..We wandered around almost together. At the end of about half an hour, when I stood in the billing counter, the family stood behind me. I saw that the boy had selected few biscuit packets, a pack of gems, a bottle of Jam, a packet of wafers and some other small knick knacks. He stood at the counter, wide eyed..taking everything in like someone who has suddenly discovered colours in a black and white world.

After I paid the bill I stood to the side and noticed that their bill was about Rs 200. I took the man in the counter aside for a minute while the family was looking elsewhere and asked if I could make their payment. I asked him to tell the boy that he was a chosen specific number lucky customer( a ritual that some stores follow) and that his shopping was free. My aim was not to make him or his parents feel obliged, but to keep alive the magic, of what probably was a lovely evening for them.

As soon as the counter person announced this to the family, the boy did a little jump in the air and the parents beamed at him happily. Some things in life are extremely satisfying. Their simple smiles I shall remember for long.

* Please note that this post is in no way meant to highlight that I have done some extraordinary work, because that is not the purpose of putting it down here. My contribution if any, to such instances is negligible to what perhaps needs to be done. But there are plenty of young people on my list, to whom I wanted to say through this, that play a magician some day and make someone happy..its very easy actually..and very satisfying..sometimes it costs lesser than a movie ticket!