Meeting a beggar at New Delhi Metro

Bharkhamba Road Metro is a busy station of Delhi.  One can take the metro from the Connaught place from this station to various station.  With some house hold work I landed up in the place and was to enter a building in the very hot sun when I walked a little to the nearby street to see what all are going on there!
There was a lot of knick knack sellers who sold all things about office stationery to all kinds of Delhi foods, mean fast foods which generally office goers looked for for a bite as entering a cafe or food court is not easy or reasonable to Delhi standards for the standard workers and office goers! 

That is when I noticed a beggar-man.  He was walking in my direction. The first  thought in my cruel mind was that he could be a crafty guy. But then he was so skinny, that he surprised any body who saw him that he still has energy left to stand up and walk.  The whole body was soiled and in tattered clothes and he had not seen water for long.  There was a girl giving him pieces of bread which he was leisurely munching.  Now that the girl has left him he is coming to beg himself! There was a soft voice in my mind telling me: Give him something. He is so poor in any case. My hand reached to my pocket and it came out with a two rupee coin. Now the man reached near me. I am ready with the two rupee and my mind is undergoing the great fight, give him something, no don’t give him. These kinds are like that only. They do not deserve better. I felt, I am in his position and he is in my position.

For a second, I thought myself to be in his position: I was eating the scrub of bread somebody had given my daughter. She said, Papa this is good. That gentleman over there gave me his left overs. Really good papa, do eat a little. You have not eaten anything since morning. So I started to eat it. I was walking in the direction of a group of people. On the way there is the silhouette of a man with a bag. While I was passing the silhouette with the bag I felt his handing nearing me. Instantaneously I showed my hand. There may be something he may be wanting to give me. The silhouette told me “here” and I extended the hand in that direction and lo! There is a two rupee coin. God has been kind today as ever. A two rupee coin. A meal costs only twenty rupees at concession. That too we have to buy only if the hotel does not have any left overs. I was happy. A few more two rupees and I can buy a fresh meal today. My two daughters will enjoy. And if they can’t finish it my wife can join. I do not need fresh food. I can eat all kinds of left overs unless they are stale. I digest anything. I am a worm. A worm eats anything. Our human position is not very important in this town. There is no Mother Theresa around here. Here all are human, very busy in their day to day affairs. There is not even place to stand in one place here in this city these days. This is not the old city of yesteryears! I moved on.

Once back in my position -It was automatic. I could not prevent myself from extending my hand and trying to put the coin in his hands. His hand was extended but not in my direction. I made a sound to attract his attention and his hand came in my direction. I put the coin in his hand!! I could not believe myself. The man was totally blind but for seeing a shadow. What further can be done? What ..what further. I have my urgent works on hand. I only thought of seeing this place around to acclimatise myself, if ever I had to visit this place again. I slowly walked away with a last look. The skeleton man’s wife, a stocky black lady had assembled her two darkish looking girls aged 8 and 12 around her and were seriously discussing about their business of begging. The skeleton man was still munching the bread parts of which falling from his mouth, and some showing up around his lips as he was unaware of the sight.

I reached near him and showed the coin. His long slender hand came forward and accepted it. There was a look of helplessness and a feeble smile on his face.

I qucily walked in the direction of the Metro train. I can’t wait! I have urgent work to do like all others!!

In the Metro coach, my mind was still around the forty forty five year old darkish skeleton of the man munching his bread and his wife and his little daughters happy and discussing ways and means under the hot sun with the temperatures soaring at forty five degrees!! How they will find a way of life and survive was a question which troubled me for long.