While you seat indolently in a metropolis railway station and wherever you sit, on your baggage or a cemented bench, you tend to sprint your eyes over the small replica of India’s diversity of mankind. And while you are doing this, you are most likely to confront someone, one look at whom would make you feel you are the luckiest man on earth.
People are geared up either to shoo away or give a considerate look or help (always the last option) when one of these pathetically ill-fated human species, with a deformed organ, a lost limb or blinded vision approach you and plead you to have some pity (or something else?) on them.
But “begging is a business these days” will be the buzzing words within a group on the platform or inside the train you are most likely to hear. Because it’s an escape for the unfeeling rich minds and it’s a solace for the mediocre minds who want to help but can’t afford to dissipate (in their language) even a penny.
What people don’t try to understand these days is that why let the materialistic mind-set hood their hearts? Why let a little pain stop you from listening to your heart and doing a lot good? Believe me, sometimes a simple act might make you come in terms with your inner self and an unplumbed contentment. I came to know the purpose of my existence from an incident that ensued eleven years back…
I met this elfin penniless kid among many others in Kamrup Express in Kolkata’s railway station. This girl I couldn’t take my eyes off was not more than four years old, had scruffy locks, sharp features but suntanned skin, a running nose, a frock worn in shreds and eyes searching for something. But what was it? My small sister sitting beside me was busy amusing herself with a Barbie doll and there this girl of the same age was sweeping up the floor as if some pirate was searching for some hidden treasures, with a broom double her own length. I wondered ‘had this girl been bestowed with fair skin she herself would have looked like a china clay doll’.
After dusting the floor she went towards the fellow travelers and raised her tiny palm towards them. When someone drove her off she didn’t whine but silently pass her palm towards the next traveler. Some people dropped one or two rupee from a distance with a look as if she was some pain in the neck or a leper and a very few more sympathetic ones gave her a kind smile along with the penny. But the look in her eyes never changed!
Ours was the last berth in the compartment. As she was sweeping up our floor my little sister accidentally spilled the contents of the Pepsi bottle she was having, on the floor. This girl didn’t even raise her eyes and look at us; she kept on cleaning and this time with the corner of her frock to sop up the liquid on the floor. She rose, raised her palm towards my father and looked at him, with those unfathomable eyes, seeking answers for thousands of questions and begging for something…but I knew it was neither pity nor money…then what? My father gave her three rupee. But I was not pleased. I told him straight ‘had I been earning and I been in your place I would have given her five rupee’. She was about to leave. I called her back n hold towards her another two rupee. She gazed at me for a long moment and went back towards the other end simply overlooking what I offered her. She had captivated me by her weird acts! Since it was already dusk and no station was visible within a short distance curiosity rose in me and I followed her just to see whether she would go the next bogie or wait somewhere to tot up the money. As I was about to cross the entry to the aisle I tumbled over something. A pair of feet. It didn’t occur to me that the girl might be accompanied by some elder. But there she was, kneeling by her sick mother who lied on the floor beside the door, attending to her. She looked up at me with those same eyes, this time with tears wobbling at their corner and a running nose. My heart went to her like it never did to anyone before. It didn’t take me a second to realize that money was of least concern in front of her pride and since she had pride she had everything except a sense of belonging, the feeling of being wanted! I took her up into my arms spontaneously, kissed her forehead and looked at her. Tears trickled down her eyes and mine and she smiled. The smile reached her eyes and all questions in them vanished with the smile and this smile gave a meaning to my life. Even today when I recall that smile I feel contentment beyond words, a bliss I know wet behind the ears to many…
It’s all about feeling. Instead of going on the tune of the world, one just has to discover the source of their inner strength by feeling and loving and eventually a miracle might take place…who knows?
People are geared up either to shoo away or give a considerate look or help (always the last option) when one of these pathetically ill-fated human species, with a deformed organ, a lost limb or blinded vision approach you and plead you to have some pity (or something else?) on them.
But “begging is a business these days” will be the buzzing words within a group on the platform or inside the train you are most likely to hear. Because it’s an escape for the unfeeling rich minds and it’s a solace for the mediocre minds who want to help but can’t afford to dissipate (in their language) even a penny.
What people don’t try to understand these days is that why let the materialistic mind-set hood their hearts? Why let a little pain stop you from listening to your heart and doing a lot good? Believe me, sometimes a simple act might make you come in terms with your inner self and an unplumbed contentment. I came to know the purpose of my existence from an incident that ensued eleven years back…
I met this elfin penniless kid among many others in Kamrup Express in Kolkata’s railway station. This girl I couldn’t take my eyes off was not more than four years old, had scruffy locks, sharp features but suntanned skin, a running nose, a frock worn in shreds and eyes searching for something. But what was it? My small sister sitting beside me was busy amusing herself with a Barbie doll and there this girl of the same age was sweeping up the floor as if some pirate was searching for some hidden treasures, with a broom double her own length. I wondered ‘had this girl been bestowed with fair skin she herself would have looked like a china clay doll’.
After dusting the floor she went towards the fellow travelers and raised her tiny palm towards them. When someone drove her off she didn’t whine but silently pass her palm towards the next traveler. Some people dropped one or two rupee from a distance with a look as if she was some pain in the neck or a leper and a very few more sympathetic ones gave her a kind smile along with the penny. But the look in her eyes never changed!
Ours was the last berth in the compartment. As she was sweeping up our floor my little sister accidentally spilled the contents of the Pepsi bottle she was having, on the floor. This girl didn’t even raise her eyes and look at us; she kept on cleaning and this time with the corner of her frock to sop up the liquid on the floor. She rose, raised her palm towards my father and looked at him, with those unfathomable eyes, seeking answers for thousands of questions and begging for something…but I knew it was neither pity nor money…then what? My father gave her three rupee. But I was not pleased. I told him straight ‘had I been earning and I been in your place I would have given her five rupee’. She was about to leave. I called her back n hold towards her another two rupee. She gazed at me for a long moment and went back towards the other end simply overlooking what I offered her. She had captivated me by her weird acts! Since it was already dusk and no station was visible within a short distance curiosity rose in me and I followed her just to see whether she would go the next bogie or wait somewhere to tot up the money. As I was about to cross the entry to the aisle I tumbled over something. A pair of feet. It didn’t occur to me that the girl might be accompanied by some elder. But there she was, kneeling by her sick mother who lied on the floor beside the door, attending to her. She looked up at me with those same eyes, this time with tears wobbling at their corner and a running nose. My heart went to her like it never did to anyone before. It didn’t take me a second to realize that money was of least concern in front of her pride and since she had pride she had everything except a sense of belonging, the feeling of being wanted! I took her up into my arms spontaneously, kissed her forehead and looked at her. Tears trickled down her eyes and mine and she smiled. The smile reached her eyes and all questions in them vanished with the smile and this smile gave a meaning to my life. Even today when I recall that smile I feel contentment beyond words, a bliss I know wet behind the ears to many…
It’s all about feeling. Instead of going on the tune of the world, one just has to discover the source of their inner strength by feeling and loving and eventually a miracle might take place…who knows?
3 comments:
How unfortunate is it for mortals to get misunderstood in this world where still now the theory of darwin is seemingly the ultimate accepted truth,debatably unfortunate though...also this cynic wonders about the suggested remedy of giving alms and the longlasting practicality of it...anyways...in totality good,author followed her heart,kind of a precedent in this cold,cruel and morbid world...it is for compassionate souls like her's that the world is still a place to leave and die for...
sentence formation is a bit long at times...otherwise okay...good work...cheer o'
rituparnaji...
i dont know who u are..
but i came 2 know from this small anecdote by u, that u are having one of that good hearts...u r one of those endangered humans with real passion to the fellow beings..it needs real courage to take that girl in own hands and console here , overcoming societal influences around u..Kudos...
Me also believes that"i cannot claim myself to be a good human being since i haven't been able to make this place any better"...
Hoping souls like u may fill this world of materialism with real love n passion...
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