In an interesting incident, Hari Shankar Verma, the Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) of Salem Division, shared a light moment with an 11-year-old kid, gifting him chocolates and a motivational message, here in Coimbatore, on Sunday.

Verma, who was here to inspect the Coimbatore Railway Junction ahead of the Wednesday visit of the Passenger Amenities Committee, stopped by E. Aniruddha, a Class VI student from Kerala, sitting with his grandparents.

Aniruddha, who was a little startled by the crowd stopping by him, asked the DRM, “Who are you?” To this, Verma tried to explain his designation in the Southern Railways, but in vain.

“What improvements do you want for the junction?” Verma asked the little boy, but Aniruddha, who was too young to understand the adversaries that the passengers face at the junction, innocently replied that he wanted to become a Train Ticket Examiner (TTE) when he grew up!

While others around Verma said that the boy should aim for something much higher, Aniruddha was determined about becoming the all-powerful TTE, who, according to him, was above everyone else in a train.

Presenting him with chocolates and conveying his Friendship Day wishes, Verma also wrote a small piece of advice for his little friend.

“My Dear Aniruddha, may the Lord make you a big person to help the poor and also make this country the greatest of all,” wrote Verma in a small piece of paper along with his signature and date. He also gave his business card, asking the kid to call him whenever he wanted to.

Sharing his happiness, Aniruddha told the Covai Post that he was delighted to meet a higher official like him (he still hadn’t quite understood the post that Verma holds, but knew that the latter was a ‘big officer’), adding that he would follow his advice. Aniruddha boarded the next train to Palakkad, along with his grandparents.

In a day filled with tiring and routine inspection for the DRM, other officers, and the press, the unexpected interaction with the kid, brought a huge smile on the faces of the onlookers.