Mirch Bajji

After the office hours, I along with my colleagues stop at a Chai dukaan near Panjagutta, Hyderabad (you get awesome chai here for Rs.4/-).

Last week, as a part of our routine, we stopped at the Chai dukaan and were enjoying the Chai. A little girl (approximately 7-8 years old) was begging there and she came to us. She started singing "Anna rupai ivvu... uncle rupai ivvu" (Brother give me a rupee... Uncle give me a rupee). One of my colleagues asked her to go away. Another one said "What does this innocent girl know? It is her parents fault, they send these kids for begging."

The girl listened to those words. I inquired her whether she go to school or not. She did not reply to my question, instead she reacted to the statement of my colleague. She said she knows what we discussed about her parents and she asked us why did we talk like that. I did not have an answer but felt very sad (in fact guilty) for her reaction. She smiled and asked me to give her a rupee.

I generally won't give money to kids. So, I told her that I would purchase her some biscuits. But she was not interested in biscuits, rather she asked me to purchase Mirch Bajji.

I went to the shop which is right beside the tea shop, where Mirch bajji is available and asked for a plate of bajji. The lady in the shop asked me to wait as hot bajji are being made. Then the girl came and said that she would take them to her mom and eat there. I asked the lady to pack them. As soon as the lady realised that the bajji was not for me, but for the kid, she packed the bajjis which were already there. I felt bad for the indifference shown by the lady in the shop, but I did not argue with the lady. I handed over the bajjis to that girl and left the place.

But, on the way home, I thought of the incidence and cursed myself for not arguing with the lady in the shop for the indifference shown towards the girl.

Two days later, the same girl came while we were at the tea shop. I said Hi to her. She did not recognise me but, after reminding her about Mirch Bajji, she recognised and we chatted for almost 10 minutes. I asked her whether she would like to have biscuits, she said that there are loads of biscuits at her home and she also told me that there would be around 40-50 children at the home. She asked me for a rupee. For the first time without any thought I gave her a rupee. She inquired me how much did I give her? I said one rupee. She smiled and I said Bye to her. While I was leaving, she asked me where do I live? I replied to her question and left the place.

Kid with a golden glass

It was a hot summer day in Delhi and I along with my friends, went to a medical center to get my medical tests done for joining in DSCL. While coming back from the medical center, we felt thirsty and went to a roadside nimbu paani shop.

While we were enjoying the cool salty lemon water, a small kid with his body hardly covered came there and requested the dukaanwala for a glass of water. The dukaanwala without any mercy had denied and used abusive language. Then I paid for a glass of water and gave it to the child. After having that glass of water, he gave a cute smile and ran away by adjusting his chaddi.

For the rest of the day I was thinking of the kid and the smile on his face after drinking the water. For me it was just a simple glass of water, but for the kid it was a "Golden Glass".

For a while i thought that i had committed a mistake by having lemon water at such a merciless person's shop. I thought of that incident so many times and every time I thought of it I encountered some questions.

A boy who became an orphan for education

Street Talks kick starts with "A boy who became an orphan for education."

This is about a boy who has been admitted in an Orphanage by his parents, as they do not have the capability to provide education to their child. In this, I will mention the actual conversation between the boy and his mother, which I had witnessed as a co-passenger.

Boy:Mom don't call me everyday
Mom:Why?
Boy:If you people call me everyday, they people gonna expel me form the school.
Mom:Ok kid. Don't worry. We wont call you. Study well.
Boy:Hmmmmm
Mom:How are you doing kid? Whether they are giving good food? How about your studies? Boy: I am doing gud amma. Last week the japanese came and took all the students to Vijeta Inn (a famous restaurant in srikakulam). We had chicken, mutton, fish, prawns, biryani, etc. etc. Mom's face was full of happiness
Boy: how about you amma? Is father still drinking? Is he beating you? Is he working? Is he beating sister?
Mom: No kid. The situation is much better.

It was then I interfered and asked the woman. (I was listening to their conversation from the beginning and got curious to know why the kid told his mom not to call him everyday.)

Adroitcell: Amma who are you? Why is your son not interested in talking to you everyday?
Mom: We hail from Dallavalasa (a village in srikakulam). We were agriculture labor. We have migrated to Vizag in search of work. This kid is my son and he wanted to study. We did not have money for his education. Here some person is running an organisation which provides education to orphans. We went and met him. He asked us to leave our child with him and from then, he is taking care of this child. (Then she told me something which came like a shock to me.) That persons get lacs of rupees from Japan. He takes some amount and spends the rest on the children. Its not his own money. As the Japanese are giving him he is spending. (This is what she said)
Adroitcell: Ohhh... I will ask you one question will you give me truthful answer?
Mom: Yes Babu.
Adroitcell: If you get that money from Japan, would you spend on other people or will you spend on your own?
Mom: hmmmmmm... Why are you asking like this?
Adroicell: Answer me.
Mom: May be I wont give.
Adroitcell: Then how could you say that he is spending only because he is getting money form Japan? If he wants to earn money, he can always do that by creating a fake list of kids. He can arrange for the kids while the Japanese visits and there is no dearth of people when told that they will be taken to a 3 star hotel for lunch. Even people who are well off would send their children.

After saying this I stopped discussing with them and got down at my destination. The questions which I asked the lady still haunt me.