I’m going through a tough time. My mother is unwell, my salary has been delayed, and I’m in a lot of debt. On top of that, I found out I can’t get pregnant, something that’s been really hard to come to terms with emotionally. It’s been a lonely, heavy phase of life.

Today, while commuting back home from work in a shared taxi (a common ride-share system in Mumbai, India), I realized I was ₹5 short. Drivers here usually don’t accept digital payments. I turned to the woman sitting beside me and asked if she had ₹5, I told her I’d pay her online immediately.

She handed it to me without hesitation. When I insisted on returning it, she refused, I asked five times. She just smiled warmly. That one small act of kindness broke something in me. When I got down at my stop, she waved goodbye, and I just broke down in tears.

It might seem like nothing. But that moment, her warmth, her kindness gave me a flicker of hope. Maybe, just maybe… it’s okay to wait a little longer. Maybe things will get better.