The walk home

It has been a great month for the Indian economy. The budget has been described as the sequel to the dream budget of a few years back, the sensex is scaling new heights everyday, employment is supposedly on the up and all-in-all the feel good factor is back.

Yet as I walked home today reality struck me hard. Just as I had entered my lane, I saw a lady, walk up to another (whom I recognized of being from my lane) and question her about something. The lady got a shrug of the shoulder for an answer. I noticed then that she had a young boy, of around 10 years of age with her. The lady must have not been a year over thirty. She cast a hapless look at her son and resumed her walk down the lane. It was now that my eyes fell on a man, very young I must add, who was a few metres in front. Despondency was written large in his eyes as he was begging to a man for a few rupees.

He then caught a sight of me and came over to me. I had by now realized the situation and had decided not to part with even a rupee, come what may. I almost instinctively shook my head and gave an expression as if to say, "How can I have any money?"

Just as I was about to proceed on my way home, my eyes fell on that litle boy. He looked pale, eyes sunken, shoulders drooping. The boy was definitely malnutritioned. Trying to forget the child, I began to walk; but my mind would not allow me. I could not forget that face. This child was meant to be playing, studying, eating. He should not be worrying about his food. My feet fell heavy. I stopped, out my hand in my wallet and removed a ten. Handing it over to the man, I asked him to feed his child.

The gratitude I saw on the man's face is something I shall never forget. His demeanor suggested that fate had brought him to this situation. I am not someone who condones begging but I did believe that in such situations generosity is warranted and to an extent necessary.