I entered 2015 as an immature teenager, carefree as most in my generation are; but our not so faulty stars had planned a lesson for me. A small yet significant incident with a little boy, younger than half my age that was to change my thought process for life.
I come from that middle-class family where one and only child is treated in luxury. They are provided with everything they need by their parents, who never let the child know how difficult it was for them in the first place. The child is literally spoilt. Here I don't mean people like me, privileged by birth do drugs and all. We are just careless spenders, not realising our money's worth, for it is not earned by us the hard way. But may be after a point the universe conspires with your mother who tells you each time to "save for a rainy day", only to be dismissed by your father, who believed in giving you what his father couldn't give him, at his own cost.
So I think my mother resorted to the Gods to drive some sense into me and they have the canvas of the entire planet to make it happen. So one day one of the millions of Gods my mom prsys to did get interested in me. I believe when he heard my mothers prayers and then looked down at me, he was amused by her problem and would have said " tathastu" ( I grant thou, thy wish).
At that moment we were at a small new outlet that had recently started near my college campus with friends. Private colleges in India have teachers you don't really need. They are just cassette recorders playing word by word, each textbook word. So we were found mostly outside enjoying our lives, studying only a day before exams which was enough to score decently. There were some good teachers too, but they were like a needle in a hay stack, which meant you had to tolerated four boring lectures and in between was sandwiched a good one. We decided to not eat the sandwich, its place was taken glouriously by samosa and tea- the snack Indian youth can swear by.
I was in the gala company of the former when the God got interested. He set up a little play right there by sending a little boy about 10-12 years old. Funny was the guy above, his dark sense of humor now began its play. The child asked the shopkeeper that he had 50rupees and he wanted to buy something that was filling for both him and his hungry mother. He was also reluctant to spend it all and save some for tomorrow was another day and a stomach though lite needs filling each day. The shopkeeper gave the best options he could. He seemed to have known the child for sometime now. Suddenly the careless me, who wouldn't even care about peoples business that didn't concern me, got interested. The boy kept calculating in his little mind each option provided and setes for two parathas for 40 rupees. I was saddened when the elder gentleman told him it wouldn't be enough for two and the little guy flashed a very gentle, beautiful smile saying , as long as we get food today its a good day.
The God above looked and focussed on me, he started moving me. I went to the counter and asked the boy if I cod but him the meal for today, the boy gently declined saying, he earned his living and didn't want to beg or be dependent. I would give him food for today but tomorrow if he had none or lesser his stomach would want more. It wasn't his capacity to meet those needs, so he will est a full meal the day he earns enough. I was shocked by this answer. The shopkeeper gave him his stuff, he smiled at the packet, happy and proud to have earned his meal for the day, flashed one at me and left. The God now relaxed and would have had a sip of his favourite drink up there still enjoying this show ( I imagine), at that moment on earth, like lightning it struck me.
I suddenly felt ashamed of myself. Here was a ten year old wearing torn, tattered clothes barely covering his body but he had the sense of right. He earned his living, fed himself and looked after his mother. From what the shopkeeper added to his story, after the boy had left he lived at the traffic signal with his ailing mother who was unable to work. The boy worked at a construction site to provide for both. He wod never accept anything extra from the shopkeeper too, who offered many a times except for meals that would go waste. He wod take them for his mother thinking she would be better again, for all he had was her. He worked as much as his little body could, ate little and never took help from ànyone in terms of food for tbe re was another day and he couldn't afford a greedy stomach.
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