On the steps of Sabarimala

I used to visit Sabarimala in Kerala with my friends those days. We used to stay at my friend's place and leave in the evening in a hired mini bus to reach the footsteps of Sabarimala late in the night. Then the steep climb would begin and we would reach the gate at around five in the morning. The gates opened at six and there was always a rush to climb the steps and be one of the first to take a darshan of Lord Ayappa. Once, on one of these visits, as the gates opened we all started to rush in. Suddenly one elderly lady took support of my left shoulder to climb the steep steps. I let her and again started going forward. But she held my shoulder and requested me in a language I did not understand to help her climb the steps. Notwithstanding her language, I understood what she had to say. I gave up the idea of rushing through the gates and allowed her to clutch my shoulder and climb the steps one by one. Already my friends and others had gone far ahead. We entered the gate and the woman expressed in a few words something which was like a blessing. I was left far behind but felt a satisfaction difficult to describe. Now I was in no hurry as I proceeded for the darshan. A good deed is perhaps equivalent to a darshan.