When A. P. J. Abdul Kalam passed away in Shillong, the whole world mourned. But the real story came to light the next day in Delhi.
His close associates arrived to open his room. Everyone was curious to see what wealth such a great scientist — a man who had served the government in top positions for 40 years and spent 5 years in the majestic Rashtrapati Bhavan on Raisina Hill — had left behind.
But when the room was opened, silence filled the air.
There was no locker. No luxury car keys. No foreign bank account passbook.
In a small trunk lying in the corner of the room, they found only this:
6 worn-out shirts and 4 trousers (which he used to wash himself)
3 old suits (one of them had been stitched when he became President and lasted him all 5 years)
1 wristwatch — punctual, yet far removed from showmanship
1 old laptop and 1 veena
And the most valuable possession of all: 2,500 books
That was the entire wealth of the man who helped make India a nuclear power.
Do you know what is even more astonishing?
PURA quietly received his entire salary and pension as donations. The man whose signature could influence budgets worth billions never bought even an inch of land for himself.
Today, we wear shoes worth ₹2,000 and sunglasses worth ₹5,000 and consider ourselves rich. But that great soul, without any brands or extravagance, won the admiration of the entire world.
Even in death, Dr. Kalam left us with a mirror to look into — teaching us that:
“A person is remembered not for his status, but for his values and vision.”
If today you have a roof over your head and clothes to wear, then materially you may be richer than the President once was. But do you have a heart like his?
Countless salutations to this great soul and his simplicity.
Source: Quora
