# 068 Unmeasured kindness

🌼 Kindness that Offers Fruit (கனி வாழ்த்தும் கருணை)

Today’s morning walk unfolded like any other—until a heady fragrance stopped me in my tracks. It was the unmistakable scent of ripe jackfruit, perfuming the air with a kind of sticky sweetness that felt like nature's call to pause. I made a mental note: I’d grab some arils (bulbs) on my return journey. What followed wasn’t just a transaction—it was a living parable in generosity. When I asked for the price, the roadside vendor, a rustic villager with unhurried movements and unmeasured kindness, simply said, “₹10 for 3 pieces.” I requested 4. No words followed, just action. He began pulling arils (சுளை) from the fruit, as if generosity wasn’t a favour but a reflex. As I watched, another villager—an old acquaintance, it seemed—wandered over, chatting amiably and helping himself to piece after piece with comfortable familiarity. No permission asked, none needed. Then, a bicyclist stopped by and casually asked for a free sample. The vendor looked at him, read something beyond the ask, and handed over not one, but two bulbs of sweetness. When my turn came, I offered ₹20. He pulled out a carry bag and handed it to his friend, who packed ten pods without counting twice. I requested one more. Again, no hesitation. Just the quiet addition of fruit to hand. 🍃 The Unspoken Economics of Kindness These were men unburdened by the ledger. Their interactions weren’t dictated by decimal points or ROI, but by something older, instinctive, convivial, and quietly subversive to everything we assume about transactions. In a world that prizes calculation and efficiency, this moment was gloriously inefficient. No price recalibration. No haggling. Just a fluid expression of shared abundance. 🙏 A Blessing in the Form of Fruit As I walked away with a bag of golden jackfruit arils and quiet joy in heart, I felt compelled to silently bless them—these large hearted souls who live by values not seen on city billboards. Their worldview isn’t anti-business. It’s post-business. Their currency is grace. May we urbanites learn to carry a fraction of their unmeasured kindness, and perhaps someday, a bit of that heady sweetness will linger in us too. 💬 Have you had a moment like this—where the ordinary turned unexpectedly soulful? Whether it was over a cup of roadside chai, a generous auto driver, or a stranger’s smile in the rain, share your story. Let’s celebrate the subtle magic that kindness brings to our days.