From a Bengaluru cab driver buying a sandwich for a fellow passenger to a commuter winning the internet for giving up his bus seat for an elderly man, 2025 was the year of earning praise online for simple gestures. Here are five instances when simple gestures went viral, captivating the hearts of internet users.
Commuter Gives Up Bus Seat For Elderly Man
In April, a Reddit user posted a moving story about offering their seat to an elderly man on a crowded bus. The man's deeply meaningful reply was so impactful that it made the user reflect profoundly on life.
I Gave Up My Seat to an Elderly Man on the Bus ,What He Said to Me Afterwards Made Me Think a Lot.
byu/moamen12323 inself
"I was coming back from work, exhausted and not in the mood for anything, and I got on a very crowded bus. I found an empty seat and sat down. After a while, an elderly man got on, and he looked tired and was standing. Without thinking, I got up and gave him my seat. He thanked me with a simple smile, and after a bit, he started talking to me. He asked about my work and how life was going. We were talking normally, and I felt like he was a kind and calm person. Suddenly, he said, "I haven't spoken to anyone for four days, I just needed someone to listen to me," the user wrote on Reddit.
"That really affected me. I couldn't respond, but I just listened until he got off. I realised how small gestures can make a big difference in someone's day. Have you ever had a small moment like this that made your day different? Or made you change your perspective on something you thought was ordinary?", the user added.
The woman's heartwarming gesture instantly went viral viral and earned her heaps of praises online. One user wrote, "I wish more people were like you. The world would be a much better place. Hope you have an awesome weekend."
Bengaluru Uber Driver Buys Sandwich For Passenger
Content creator Yogita Rathore shared a post in November describing what she called "one of the most endearing experiences" of her life.
The content creator shared that she had boarded a cab after a long day of shooting and was speaking to a friend on call confessing that she hadn't eaten anything all day and was feeling drained.
Yogita said after a while, the car suddenly halted mid-journey. She assumed that the driver needed a washroom break and asked him to take his time. But what happened next left her surprised.
The driver returned, holding a box of sandwiches. In her video, he can be heard saying, "I heard you tell your friend you were very hungry and I felt bad. Even if it were my sister and she was hungry, I would have felt the same."
Yogita said she was moved by his thoughtful gesture and urged viewers to remember the impact of small gestures.
Her poignant story ignited a wave of gratitude for the driver, with numerous comments under the video underscoring how deeply the gesture connected with the audience.
Jewellery Shop's 'Priceless' Gesture
A video of a heartwarming moment went viral in June when a 93-year-old villager, dressed in a traditional white 'dhoti-kurta' and a cap, stepped into a jewellery shop in Maharashtra's Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.
At first, the staff mistook his humble appearance for someone seeking help. But when he expressed the wish to buy a 'mangalsutra' (sacred necklace worn by married women) for his wife, the shop owner was left speechless. Overwhelmed by the nonagenarian's gesture of love, the shop owner gave it to him for a "token" amount Rs 20.
"The couple entered the shop and the man gave me Rs 1,120, saying he wanted to buy a mangalsutra for his wife. I was overwhelmed by his gesture. I just took Rs 20 from him as a token of blessings, and handed over the mangalsutra to the couple," the shop owner said.
The video of the touching moment instantly went viral and garnered over two crore views. Many viewers were impressed by the elderly man's enduring love for his wife while others praised the shop owner for his gesture.
Food Delivery Agent's Apology
In september, a food delivery agent's apology went viral and touched hearts online. In a post titled "Rare 'sorry' from delivery guy made me feel guilty", a reddit user wrote about her late-night food delivery experience.
The user had instructed the food delivery person not to call the landline and call on her number instead if security asks as her parents would wake up.
Despite this, the landline rang, and the user admitted they were initially annoyed. What happened next left a deep impression on the user. When the delivery person handed over the food, he immediately apologised in Hindi: "Maaf kar dijiye, main aapki phone vaali baat bhool gaya, galati ho gayi" (Please forgive me. I forgot about calling you personally. It was my mistake).
The user wrote, "That hit me hard. Nobody here really says sorry, especially delivery guys who are already working crazy hours. My irritation just disappeared and I felt bad instead."
Rare ‘sorry' from delivery guy made me feel guilty.
byu/NoMoreNinja indelhi
The post quickly went viral, with users emphasizing the powerful impact of a simple apology.
A user commented, "Proof- a sorry CAN make you a bigger person." Another person wrote, "Exactly, not everyone has the courage to apologise."
Sikkim Boy's Kind Gesture
In early 2025, a young boy from Sikkim won hundred of hearts online for his simple act of empathy towards a tourist visiting his village.
In a video posted on Instagram, the boy was seen interacting with a tourist. "Aap kaha se ho?" (Where are you from?), he asked. The tourist replied, she was from Hyderabad and asked where he was from. With a shy smile, the boy said he belonged to the same village.
The boy, after introducing the tourists to his younger brother, looked back at the tourist and politely offered if they'd like some sweets after that without waiting for an answer, he rushed back, opened a small box of sweets and handed two pieces each to the tourist and her friend before continuing his journey.
The video was an instant hit. A user commented, "I will cry if he asks me 'mithai khayenge'."
Another wrote, "The kid gave us a lesson, we all should learn."
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