Not Just Another Day
It was just another day,
until a tall, fair, middle-aged person came across my way, when I was about to
cross the road to reach my college. To be frank, I didn’t even notice him,
until my ears were attracted to an orotund voice saying, “Excuse me, Sir. Do
you have a minute?”
“Yes. How can I help
you?” – I was in a hurry.
“I’m hungry. I have no
money. Can you give me some?”
I was surprised to say
the least. May be, my boastful eyes and ears couldn’t believe that a person who
is begging to someone can come with such decent attitude and fluent English
accent. Or maybe my worldly learning was inadequate till then.
The person could read
the disbelief on my face. He came up with another idea-
“Ten rupees will do,
Sir. Or you can accompany me to any shop where I can have something to eat.”
“Are you sure that you
want ten rupees?”- I couldn’t resist myself from asking what I was suppressing
for long. Well, it was as long a minute, tops. But it seemed lot more than that
to me.
“Yes, Sir.” - He smiled
and added “I don’t look like a beggar, right?”
I could only nod with an
affirmative gesture as I was at a loss of words then.
“I beg in my own way
Sir. I want to dress up well, speak like a gentleman. Even though I am no more
than a beggar now, I want to behave like the person that I once used to be. But
sorry, Sir, I can’t work in a roadside teashop or live the life of a cobbler. Because
that hurts my ego. So, I beg. I feel more freedom over here, Sir. Nobody can
boss me in my profession. If someone does not want to help me, no problem. Some
other people will. Am I not living a better life than the cobbler sitting just
next to you? Tell me, Sir. Don’t I have the freedom to live my life on my own?”
Everything he then said
made me believe that he must have been using this speech every day, with a lot
of people. I just happened to cross his paths that day.
I picked a ten rupee
note from my wallet and handed over it to the most astonishing person I’ve ever
met in my life.
“Thank you. I hope you
remember me, Sir. Bye”- He disappeared in the crowded street of the city, leaving
me stunned, spellbound and bewildered.
I had many things to
tell him but couldn’t. I could tell him that begging is a sin when he is
physically and mentally sound, he should find a job, be it of a travelling
salesman, or a cobbler.
Years have gone by. I am
not anymore, a college student. Whenever I sit and ponder over that incident, I
feel how much pain he had to go through to choose to beg. Political freedom has
been achieved long ago, but our society still has got some characteristics
which show signs of being in bondage. A cobbler gets insulted for nothing, a
travelling salesman must listen to dirty words which so-called gentlemen use to
shrug off their frustration. People misuse their freedom on a regular basis.
If begging is a sin,
then what about insulting innocent people who work tirelessly to make both ends
meet? People talk about freedom, but hardly they understand the true meaning of
it. People love to boss others around, and don’t want to get bossed. When will
all of us realize that no profession is small and that everyone contributes in
their own way?
The longer people will
take to realize this small thing, the more the number of travelling, literate
beggars will increase. Someday, some way you will have to stop and stare at the
person who will request you saying “Excuse me, Sir. Do you have a
minute?”
