It was like any other day for 24-year-old sales advisor Kanimolhi Krisnan from Shah Alam. She was at the MRT station waiting for the bus to go home after work when a stranger approached her for help.
Frida Pigny, an education strategist from Indonesia was in Kuala Lumpur with her French husband Samuel Pigny and their daughter, Axelle.
"We were stuck at the Kuala Lumpur Sentral with no WiFi, no Grab, no taxi app; just faith and people," says Frida. "We needed to go to the airport for our flight to Hong Kong."
She reveals her first impression of Kanimolhi: "She had "big headphones, zero expression and a 'don't-talk-to-me' kind of face."
This couldn't be further from the truth as Frida soon found out when she approached the young woman who was totally focused on listening to music on her headphones.
Kanimolhi not only booked an e-hailing car for Frida and her family, she even made sure the driver took them to the right airport terminal, and translated for them as the driver didn't speak much English.
"I just did what I could to help at that time," says Kanimolhi. "I strongly believe in being kind. It doesn't matter whether it's someone I know or a stranger, when someone needs help, I'll help as much as I can," she says.
Kanimolhi says that it's because of the good values her parents - mother cleaner Mathavi Mahamani, and late father, lorry driver Krisnan Suppiah - instilled in her and her siblings from young. She is the youngest of four children, and has two older brothers and an elder sister.
"I know people are often afraid to help others or even talk to strangers as there are many scam cases these days. But I can tell when someone truly needs help. That’s why I didn’t hesitate to help her at that moment," she adds.
Kanimolhi recalls Frida approaching her, asking if she knew what time the bus for the Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport would arrive.
"I told her I'd find out for her, and then informed her it would come at 7.30pm, after checking," says Kanimolhi.
Frida felt stressed because she and her family had a flight to catch. They were afraid that they might miss their flight.
"I suggested that they go to the airport by Grab so that they wouldn't miss their flight, but she had already bought the one-day MyCity pass. I then advised her to return the pass but informed her she might not get a refund."
Frida then asked Kanimolhi to wait for her while she did that.
And even though her bus home was about to leave, Kanimolhi agreed to wait for her.
"After she returned, I booked a Grab car for her. When the driver arrived, I explained the situation to him and asked him to drive them to the airport quickly," she says.
Before they left, Frida and her family took a wefie with Kanimolhi.
Frida notes it was then that she realised even in a time when there has been more social disconnect in the world and people have become more distant, kindness hasn't disappeared.
"Kindness is still around. It's just quieter now. It wears hoodies, headphones and tired faces," she ponders.
The education strategist shares how research from University of California Berkeley shows that small acts of help, especially unexpected ones, could release oxytocin. not only in the receivers but in the givers as well.
"It literally strengthens social bonds. Kindness is everywhere if you dare to interrupt the indifference. And when you do, you remind humanity of itself once again," she concludes.
