An Encounter With The Truth

she was standing there,with those little hands towards me,palms spread out,asking for some thing really cool so that she can feel victorious on her way to her mother who was waiting patiently some distance away,waiting to see how well her kid has mastered the art that had been taught to her by none other then she.

Sometime back both of their actions were the objects of curiousity for me,as I was the witness to the drama that was being played out near the Subway Sandwich shop wherein the mother was literally pushing the kid towards us and the kid was reluctant to follow her order to come to us for begging something.The duel between the mother and the kid was played out for some time after which unwillingly the daughter gave in to the mother( perhaps the charity of respecting the elders played it's role).

Slowly she came forward to the place where me and my friend Biswa were having our after meal conversations with the rustle and bustle of Hyderabad city forming the backdrop(I had been posted to the city for the first time on a temporary basis for one month). Not to embarrass her, I moved my attention to Biswa who was engrosssed in the pleasure of smoke and speaking out about our nostalgic school time.But knowingly or unknowingly my eyes often moved to that direction where she was on her way to her war field.Suddenly she was there.No words just those two hands came forward with palms spread out.

Since I presumed that I didn't have any coins,I was about to say "Change Nahin hai".But something deep inside me was laughing aloud on me."Hmm so you don't have change gentleman.You can afford to have a snadwich of 135 bucks & give tip of 10 Rs. to the waiter in a posh restaurant,But you can't give this child at least 1 rupee coin.Chhee Cheee,shame on you."
Suddenly those three words which I utter so clearly sometime was hard to come by.Should I or Shouldn't I???? "I remembered that I had some coins left out after I payed the bill for the sandwich.But who cares.She will go na.Why to break the flow of conversations.But isn't that bad??Perhaps my friend understood my confusion.Taking out his purse & without any attention he put a two rupee coin on the child's palm.Since I also didn't want to be left behind in this, my hands went straight to my back pocket & I also put a two rupee coin on those palms.

Holding the two coins she ran towards the judge, who by this time had come a bit closer,so that she can also ask for her share from us.The child handed her the coins.The mother looked at the coins.Took the girl in her hand.I don't know what thought came to her mind.Both started walking in the other direction from which we sat. I was hearing a voice deep inside me asking me "Is this the future of this kid??Doesn't she have the right to have a decent life??Doesn't she have the privilege to learn & understand the basic laws of science,the basic arithmatics??


Biswa's smoking was over.Throwing the cigarette on the ground,he wore his helmet on,Started the newly bought bike and we sped towards CLUB 8 where we were scheduled have a great Friday Night.

I felt as if those two innocent eyes were keeping a watchful eye on me & giving me a mysterious smile telling me "Common,don't look for the answers when you know what the answers are".The bike was speeding away.The vehicles were zooming past us and with them my mind was also having a tought time to remain cool.