‘Guilt came faster…': Zomato delivery rider's call leaves Delhi man humbled, LinkedIn post goes viral
What began as a casual late-night craving became a moment of reckoning for Delhi-based Ishan Bhatt, and it's now touching hearts across the Internet.
In a now-viral LinkedIn post, Bhatt recounted how a simple order on Zomato quickly transformed his evening. 'Yesterday I ordered ice cream from Zomato,' he wrote. About 15 minutes later, he got a call from the delivery partner: 'Sir, aap neeche aa sakte ho?' (Sir, can you please come downstairs?)
Bundled in a blanket, Bhatt casually replied: 'Kyun bhai? Aap aa jaao na upar.' (Why, brother? Come upstairs?)
'Sir, main handicapped hoon.' (Sir, I am a person with a disability.)
'Sudden silence. Guilt came in faster than the delivery,' Bhatt wrote in the post. Tossing aside his blanket 'like the main character in a movie,' he rushed downstairs, humbled by the moment.
'We keep cribbing about late deliveries, melted food, and 'packaging achhi nahi di' – but in the background, companies like Zomato are giving real opportunities to people who actually need them,' he wrote. 'I just found something that made me feel both human and humbled.'
Bhatt ended the post on a light-hearted note, sharing a screenshot of his three-ice-cream order: 'And yes, the ice cream was worth it. Next time your delivery partner calls, maybe don't be wrapped in your blanket like some paneer roll.'
The post struck a deep chord online. One user responded with warmth and wit: 'From paneer roll to superhero sprint! Love this heartwarming moment and Zomato's efforts. May they keep surprising us (and delivering smiles)! Also now craving paneer rolls and ice cream. Thanks for that!'
Another user suggested a solution to avoid such awkward moments in the future: 'Why don't you add a tag or a notification to let the customer know that a differently abled/your super delivery partner is on his way? Just to avoid this awkward situation!'
Bhatt's story also opened the floodgates for others to share similar experiences. One user recalled, 'Something very similar happened to me as well. I asked the guy to come to the second floor. The building didn't have a lift. It was 7 in the morning. He told me it would take him a few minutes. When he rang the bell, I saw that he had polio and one of his legs barely worked. Been four years, and I still can't get over the guilt.'
Another shared a similar story: 'Had a similar experience once in Gurgaon. I asked the delivery guy to come up to the second floor – there was no lift. He didn't say a word, just came up after quite a while. When I opened the door, I was taken aback – he was really old, like really old. I offered him a chair and some water, then gently asked why he was doing this kind of work. He said it was actually his son's account. His son had met with an accident while rushing deliveries – this was during the whole '10-minute delivery' craze. In his words, 'Duniya ko aag lagi hai.' So now, the father was delivering orders to keep the family going until his son recovered. This is more than three years ago, and I still can't forget his words and expressions.'
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