~ Humans of Delhi...~

 Living a life in a metropolis brings you to a level of ample observations, people around you have been just in virtuosity but living a nameless life, a life full of deprivation and struggle.

The sheer gut of these people make you stumble upon the bottleneck’s life offered to them via their birth in poverty but their challenge to life has been enormous. One such soul I keep on meeting near vicinity is “Monu” a native from Uttar Pradesh’s Gorakhpur. He has a peculiar job which many of us might shun him to even talk to him, he is our market’s toilet cleaner.

Weather he likes his job or not was my obvious question I asked Monu the other day, his reticence was palpable by the nature of his work as I though he might not like doing what he is currently into, thus he spoke of some words which touched my heart, the words full of gratitude towards God for him being living in Delhi and earning and feeding his family though his handwork and not begging.

He told me that he came 2 decades ago as a child with his uncle after he had lost both of his parents to a freak accident in his native village. His uncle was a public car parking attendant and he took on himself to make sure that he is able to survive in this costly city. He did so but his conditions of deprivation does not let him go!

He astonished me by make me aware of his education qualifications – “I am a graduate Bhaiya !” – these lines pierced my inner being, Monu surely qualifies for a decent living but what he was upto speaks about the failure of our education system, our society has failed him totally!

For most of us, the dignity of work is what matters the most, here is Man I meet who did this with aplomb and whilst he does so, he quite explicitly keeps his self-respect at the same plinth. Monu has no big qualms about what life offered him, he is surely trying to make a silver lining out of his tough situation through a dignified living – as he proudly tell me “ Bhaiya, no work is big or small…I am batting on the pitch of life and waiting for one loose ball which I shall surely hit for a six!” – What a tremendous attitude this man carries under such depressive situation.

He has two kids who go to a nearby government school and his wife is a housemaid, together they earn much to fend for themselves. The best thing about Monu is his belief in destiny, as he says that God must have grandeur plans for him as if at all he didn’t had, he would have vanished from this existence long back! His gratitude towards the grand design is palpable with his zest for life!

Living a life full of self esteem and working towards his respectability, Monu gave me an exemplified teaching – Come what may , respect life in all of its elements – you never know what comes next, but whilst you do so, remember God’s oblivious presence, for you are being tested on his parameters of living!