Abdul - Boyish Aspiration

 He comes to me with expectations - an expectation that I will pay him some money and it will surely make his day - I indeed did and he went off with a grimace.

I wanted to talk to him and called him back - he responded with a sense of urgency expecting as to whether I would pay him more - but my intent was only for a small conversation regarding his existence and that what he does! - As a street urchin, he is in a playful mood and always on his toes, does practically nothing - their life is revolving around alms and goodies that people give them as they visit a famous temple around.

I caught his attention via some goodies that I had bought from market and started to converse, though earlier he was very reluctant to talk but soon our ad-hoc friendship blossomed and we started to talk

He was equally vocal and started to ask where I belong and from where I had come. I also started to follow suit and asked his name.

"Abdul" was his hesitant reply - after a small lull, he again started to sleep - " I am a localite and stay nearby and generally loiter around here for most of the day!"

As I asked "don't you go to school Abdul and don't you want to study?"  - with gloom in his eyes, he said "N0, as even if I wanted to study, there was no money in the house!"

He further stated "My father is a daily wager and I have three sisters - we hardly make ends meet - if I were to go to school, we could not afford school fee!"

His honest and deep answer was a thought to ponder for me - how many Abdul's we have here who long for education but the tyranny of time, they will never see a classroom and won’t ever wear a school uniform.

 

Abdul has dreams of being a Pilot, he feels like flying and gets excited when he sees an airplane flying - I asked him if he had ever sat on a plane - with a somber mood, he said " NO!"  as if he desperately wanted to take a ride!

Such coincidental encounters with strangers and souls who are not in any way connected to you are pointers towards a comparative life that we all are living - in our own panache, we generally forgot to see these invisible souls around us because they are living in penury - they are countless in numbers and are living in obscurity - living a menial and subsistent life - though many of them have a true potential to achieve big things and compete with us but their living scenario has made them live the way they are existing - with practically no or minimal help, they have got themselves entangled in the vicissitudes of poverty - a trap which they might not ever transgress! 

My encounters with zillion Abdul's are a remembrance of this dark reality of life and its offering and certainly makes me pondering towards the goodies life has offered us - the key takeaway is to live humbly and love and respect their honour and dignity and of course put your best foot forward to always help them with whatever we can - be it Money or in Kind , emotionally or by any other means , with a firm belief in mind that

'Someone is Always Watching your Acts and Intentions!"