A video of a 19-year-old MacDonald delivery boy running during midnight and refusing a lift is breaking the internet.
Pradeep Mehra of Uttarakhand was seen running at midnight with a haversack on in Delhi NCR. Top filmmaker Vinod Kapri was driving when he spotted a young man running and sweating. He thought that it might be a medical emergency and offered him a lift.
“It is my routine. I always run my way back home every day because I do not get time during the day,” he said.
But why was he running? “I want to join the army and am practicing for that,” he said.
With mother ill and elder brother doing night shift, the boy had to rush home to cook food. Kapri offered to host him, but he politely refused. “My brother is doing a night shift. So he can’t cook. I have to cook after work so that he too can eat,” he said.
The video has notched 2.23 lakh likes, and 713000 retweets on Twitter alone. From Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia to actor Manoj Bajpayee, hundreds of people have hailed Pradeep for his dedication. “Salute to sheer resolve & determination!!!” said Bajpayee.
Some even offered him free coaching to qualify for the army.
“We wud love to offer him free training at India’s best armed forces training academy @Academy_Minerva @minervapunjabfc any contact details ??” said Ranjit Bajaj, owner of Minerva Academy.
After his video went viral, Pradeep was called to a television studio for the interview.
Vinod Kapri posted a heartwarming message to hail Pradeep for his dedication. “Must show this video to our kids. Pradeep’s story will inspire millions,” he said.