~ Lakshmi – A True Soul Of Grit & Gumption ~

She had an effervescence personality and her demeanor was not like any other ordinary mendicant, she took to the streets due to the current happening which lead her to believe how important it was to study and stand on economical grounds and beat the penury of life she was in. Was she her parent’s best choice, a choice which shows them a great future and also move up from the uncertainties of what life offer them as of now?

A chance encounter In front of our office, she was passing through with her siblings and showing them the way as an ordinary trespasser, suddenly a chance eye contact with her made me inquisitive about her future and what she would be in life post the situation we all are in. All of tender age when others of her peers must be studying hard and living on comforts of their homes albeit A/C’s on, she was wandering through the streets of Delhi in order to find food for her family.

Suddenly, she stopped, and a conversation began with me, asking for alms or any other financial help if I could do, she came to the point. Seeing her predicament, I could not resist myself and did what I could have done as per the demand of the situation (though, I would like it to be out of scope in this write-up), she felt a little sense of confidence and started to answer my inquisition.

What is your Name?

Lakshmi” Was the quick answer.

Are these two (a boy and a girl – both of about 6-7 years of age) your brother and Sister?

“Yes Bhaiya”

“Where do you live and why are you roaming around in this scorching heat of Delhi summer?”

“We are in search of food and other alms, my father was a erickshaw driver and he is out of work due to current scenario and we are facing an economic ruin, I study in class 10 in a nearby Govt school and the onus is on me to fend for the family as my mother cooks at home and my father goes out everyday to search for a job and a possible income.”

“Do you want to study and what you want to be in life?

“Bhaiya, I want to just help my parents and by becoming a teacher or a Doctor, I would help them.”

From her weakened voice, I could sense the hurt she had gone through – whilst she begged for alms and other material gains to make her family survive, a severed dent on the self esteem of an enterprising soul – she could be termed a beggar by the raw mind.

Pondering more, I could see that she was bright student and confident enough to study and make a mark for own self and strongly believed that she could take her family out of the economic clutter they were in. The confidence in her vision and approach towards life made me believe the famous idiom “This shall too pass…”

Though in a fix of time, Lakshmi’s determination and valor was unprecedented and was par excellence, she held her head high and was determined to get her family out of this ephemeral situation.

 The last question –

“Lakshmi, will you study more and be something for your own self or will quit school and accept the anomalies of current situation?”

The answer stupefied me and my consciousness.

“Bhaiya, I will prove to my parents, that come what may, I shall be an honor for my family in future , for that I know this is a temporary passing time, I am a good student, only education can beat poverty of life.”

Suddenly, the communication broke and she started to leave in haste for other opportunities to secure her current economic uncertainty. The summer heat was not a damper for her to accomplish task she had partaken.

A life lesson well learnt by a street urchin – come whatever may , aim for your best as the situation may be temporary but your grit and gumption should be permanent. There are enumerable such Lakshmi’s out there who have suddenly found situation for their family as tough and have taken the jumbo step of partaking life’s challenges with equal opportunities with their parents – recalling a recent case when a 15 year old girl paddled her way to her hometown Darbhanga in Bihar, taking care of her ailing father. The excruciating journey of 1200 Kms shook the conscience of our Country and uplifted the resilience of having a Girl Child in the family.

As they say the “Need of the hour produces a Man…”, Covid1-19 has proved beyond doubt that we need to change and look at life in a different perspective altogether. A perspective toward having a humane ground, sensitive to the situation of downtrodden, being accommodative to their predicaments and this to be done without hurting the dignity, self-esteem and honor of those classes.

Let us all give them an equal opportunity and bring in them the confidence to live life on equal terms as we do and see for ourselves what Karma you have done whilst you exist in these uncertain times.

 

 

~ The Invisibles ~

Never before in my living past I had realized the monotony of living indoors.Keeping with the regularity of things to be done sometimes forsake your lackluster attitude towards things, but the trials and demands of the situation make you believe to carry on. 

It is this believe with which our day to day menial tasks which we hardly used to do ourselves come to the fore.Now that situation tends to ease out,I realized the meaningful power of the "Invisibles" which live along with us and have knowingly or unknowingly become inseparable part of our existence. Taking example of our garbage guy who comes knocking on the door every pristine morning without fail and asking for his 'Take' of garbage, I ask him about his general well-being and that what makes him come out of his home . The answers seems to perturb my rationality that everyone is immune to subjectivity of time - Sanjay has a Seven member family to feed - 5 kids and himself with his wife." Sitting at the comforts of his shanty wont feed them bhaiya" is the rational answer i get from him. I understand this harsh fact with practicality of current situation and thank him profusely for the everyday danger and sacrifice he bids on us for his day to day earning.

The second living example of the "Invisibles" which I would like to talk about is our street chowkidar - A guy not more than 45 years if age ,"Ravi" as he likes him to be called, roams around in our vicinity with his candor style and his high pitch of whistle makes his presence felt. Now a days he has lot of responsibility on his shoulders - from checking temperature to inquiring about any entrant in our block, the job demands much effort. Asking him about his family, he responds with a sense of responsibility - "Bhaiya, I have two daughters and parents and wife with whom i share a small room in our neighborhood". Being the only earning member of his family, he shoulders great responsibility to feed all of them at this time of uncertain times.Working for 10-12 hours for a day and exposing himself to high risk of getting infected, he makes sure that we remain safe and secure.

These living examples are just "Invisibles" for most of us as they remain just another working professionals for us and we hardly stop by to notice their inanimate services they render. As time is a good teacher, the best teaching which COVID-19 has taught us to honour these "Invisibles" for making our lives at peace with sense of security and comfort.

Thanks "Sanjay" and "Ravi" for your unending services everyday -though what many would say that it is their sense of burden of their family that they have to oblige, my answer to them is that they were qualified enough to move back to their home towns as they have their own secure dwellings their, but they choose to take up the challenge and cater to what they have been doing Pre-Corona era.

Penultimately, there would be many Sanjay's and Ravi's in your vicinity who are invisibles for us and we have never noticed them as they pass by, it is our duty to oblige and respect their presence in our life for which we remain so much strong and efficient in this dire times.