“ Sir, can you please give me some rupees, I have not taken any food since four days,”came a mellowing voice while I was taking a nap in my cosy seat, while I was traveling from my home to my hostel in a train. I just waved my hand , I didn't care even to look who he was, how he looked. After a few minutes or two I heard the same line in the same voice.
“How dare you wake me up”, I shouted at him,and stared at him with my eyes opened big.
“Sir , can you please give me some rupees, I have not taken any food since four days,”
“So, what can I do” I said in full rage .
“Sir, please give me ...........”
“Go some where else you tiny piece of shit,and don't dare touch me again.”But he didn't moved....
“Go away from here ,”I pushed him hard,he fell on the floor of the train and started crying!!!
“Why do they give birth to these child if they can't take care of them,they just wait for them to grow and leave them to beg.....ridiculous.You know they even steal in train.”
“Yes begging has become a million dollar industry”my co-passenger informed me in return.
The train came to halt and I boarded a taxi to my hostel .
Next day in the morning ,while I was just going through the newspaper my eyes felt on the photo ,which was a the corner of the third page.In the photo was a dead body of a nine year boy.He was boney and his stomach kissed his back. Underneath the photo was a caption “....unrecognized body found near the station...” when I saw the face of the dead body's face I recognized that I have seen him some where,but can't remember where.O God!!! its the same boy whom I refused to give money,so that he can eat. I regretted now.....How much I have saved a meager
10 or 5 rupees, but that amount could have saved his life,had he ate that day.Was that the price of the dead........Rs 10 or a photo on the corner of the third page.............
P.S: the photo has been taken from a website : gbgm-umc.org
4 comments:
nice effort . Good Endimg. But this piece lacks empathy. The story had the potential to be much more forceful. All in all- a good effort.
So many times, we have seen the incidence (the first half of the story) and reacted in the same manner. But in the present day scenario, i would say that person did the right thing on his side by not encouraging begging. He was right in saying that begging has become a million dollar industry. Its impossible to know whether a person is indeed in dire need of money or he is just maliciously fleecing. How can anyone show compassion to him? But who is suffering in all of this, its the people like the boy in the story...
Nice and very emotional theme...
but the story could have been a bit more descriptive and emotions could have been more flaunting.
I liked the last line-
"Was that the price of the dead........Rs 10 or a photo on the corner of the third page............."
good job abhiket...carry on, i m waiting for ur next blog
I loved the title..fantastic!!
I have a doubt though that you might have stashed the meager amount and not given to the poor child..having known you for so many years, my heart refuses to believe it. But out here, I have to go by your words. I can't spare you a rebuke if you slept non-chalantly without noticing the abject helplessness his eyes surely might have betrayed. And shooing him away so that he fell!! Yuckk, you acted nasty. You ought to feel sorry for that.
Very touching indeed. The boy has moved you, inside out. So, a pat on your back for citing this in a good fashion.
although, at places, the tense is not commensurate with the events. You have jumbled past///present verbs.. But the beauty is retained all the way. Nothing gets lost..Its just that I am acting an inspector, for the sake of it. I got big eagle eyes, you know!!
the last line was emphatic and in fact a classy one.
"Was that the price of the dead........Rs 10 or a photo on the corner of the third page............."
Wow!!
it is not my story it is the story of everyone....I have cited it like i myself have done but sorry i can never do such a nasty act....i am glad that you still restore faith in me and believe me more than i believe my self......you are truly my best pal........and with ever act of your you are coming even closer to my heart.....thanks for the comment by the way.....
Post a Comment