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.
“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.
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