JOIN USIt’s not just the alliteration, but a myriad emotions with, which I sigh, even as I click away on the key board!
Over two years ago, I volunteered, to help with the Aadhar card enrolment in our neighbourhood.
What shocked me was the fact that thay can be from any walk of life, but some people do not have a certified identity!
So we directed them to notaries, from there upon they returned for the process to be complete.
During the enrolment I noticed a one-legged beggar coming out in clean clothes, and an old coat.
I have seen him sit at the entrance of the park gate, blithely raising his hand for money, and not even a thank-you or a salaam for the charity he enjoys.
I feed him quite often; he just accepts my gesture with impunity.
He just stares ahead at nothing, lost to deliberations of his mind, and silently demands his pittance from passersby.
But of late, a girl sits near him, even if they are strangers to each other. Her face still holds the innocence of her age possibly 17 years.
She has two kids, of two and three years perhaps?
They sit beside her and give no trouble.
Those kids are not hyper as boys would be at that age; they know their mother is a child too and wrought by what life has to offer.
She like the man is of little intelligence, obviously the callous world as inane as it is, has taken advantage of her youth.
Left her with two children, who scurries along like they are her playmates.
The attitude of her boys, too are the same. When they grow up, they will probably be perplexed that she indeed is their mother!
How strange is life; that minds should mix up relationships, because the parent is challenged! The sane world cannot correct the misconception!
But she routinely comes in the morning by 7.30 am. Clean and spruced up, with her boys.
The one-legged beggar too now appears cleaner than he used to be. But the most fascinating thing is they both find recourse in each other.
The beggar who never spoke, talks endlessly to her
She seems a little more oriented about her surroundings, chiding the kids sometimes and dividing the loaf between them.
The beggar watches on indulgently.
They both have found something to enjoy as life passes them
There sitting all day at the landing of the park steps, it has been over a year, they share a life, of nothingness and yet everything!