Never before had this happened. Never had I felt someone else's plight so deep...so real that I was myself hurt.
The chill in Delhi's air is on rise and it's the time when those steaming dumplings won't let u go away unless you have relished few of them. After a tiring day at work, I was casually strolling down the street with the utmost urge of eating away a plate of dumplings. Lost in my own thoughts, I had hardly ever noticed people who passed by.
I was about to reach my favourite dumpling stall when my thoughts were interrupted by a sudden and scary touch on my hand. Realizing it was rough, my worst fear came alive. As I turned frantically, I saw a little girl standing right beside me.
I would have been pleased to see a little girl. But I was not!
Probably I would have liked her if she wore a cute dress...but she wasn't.
Maybe I would have liked her if she wore a pretty flowery hairband... but she wasn't.
Chances are that I would have loved to say a hello to her, if she carried her doll along..but she had none to hold.
She was dressed in rags. She hardly had anything on her body that could keep her warm. Her hair was unkempt and appeared almost like strands of jute. Her face had patches of mud and she stood barefoot.
"What is it? Get lost!" are my words for any beggar I have ever come across and she got her share of it as well. And there was a moment of mismatch between my mind and my heart. She looked at me with her eyes wide open and showed no fear to my words.
I knew the way she would start begging. They have this habit of calling you in names of Bollywood stars and as soon as you decline to offer alms, they call u a witch or something even worse. I truly hated that part of interaction with beggars and therefore, I started to walk away so that I won't have to hear that everyday drama.
"Didi..! kuch pehenne ko de do." I turned back and looked at her again. Her eyes gleamed with hope. I walked back to where she stood and asked her where her parents were. They lived in a slum nearby.
"Hum bheek nahi maang rahe didi. Koi purane kapde ho toh de do. Ma aur baba majdoori karte hain." I was taken aback. I smiled at her and she smiled back. For that moment, I could not see her unkempt hair. Her smile outshined the dirt that stuck to her face like a native. Now, I could not see her that cold on a winter evening. I was suddenly growing fond of her. She appeared cuter than my neighbor's kid who is always decked up in nice clothes and has a fair, bright and chubby face.
I unwrapped the muffler that hung around my neck aimlessly and wrapped her in it. Funnily, it almost worked like a shawl for her. The little soul beamed with happiness and I felt content... this time from within. It was different from the way I felt after eating away a plate of dumplings. It was better. It was deeper. And most importantly, its making me smile even two days later.
We don't fail to call India a frustrated country. We take pride in discussing our short falls. Talk of one problem and others will help you make a list of them.
Ever tried doing something that would change things even at a very small scale? Talk of it in public sometime and find out how many join you in making things better.
I just did...are u in?
Why not become a Real Santa and help those in need of our compassion this Christmas? :)
