FRIENDSHIP, LOVE, LIFE & MORE...

A BEGGAR ON THE ROAD OF INDEPENDENT INDIA

There were no people coming to the temple that day. Nitu looked longingly at the gates and the long staircase leading visitors up to the premises. The shops near the temple were closed. She could clearly hear the 'tweeting' of the birds around since it wasn't a busy day with rustles, horns and yelling people.

She looked down at her younger brother, three years old. His lean thighs stretched out of his half pants and his bare feet murky with the monsoon mud. His head rested on her lap, eyes wide open, staring at nothing, his hand clutched her blue skirt torn on the left.

A middle aged woman approached them. Nitu brought the bowl up to her and said, "A few coins please, madam." The woman, busy on her cellphone, said - "Sorry, no change..." and walked away into the temple. Nitu looked at the temple gate. No people today. She looked at the bowl. One five rupees and two one rupee coins. She looked at her brother, still staring at nothing. "Are you hungry Baba?" she asked him, though she knew it quite well since they didn't have a single meal that day.

She didn't want her brother to beg. She didn't want to keep him hungry. Though just 14 she was a mother at heart, and her heart cried for her brother weak with hunger and without a scrap of food to provide him with.

She looked at the temple, the 'pujari' handed over a plate of 'prasad' to the middle aged woman and put his palm over her head. As the woman passed by them, they saw the plate with apples and bananas. Baba shifted his position on her lap. "Baba?" Nitu called her brother. "I am hungry Nitu." he replied.

It was already an hour past noon. Ninu let out a sigh and pulled Baba up to move away to somewhere. They walked through the deserted street, knowing little about a 'bandh' on demand by the student's union. Nitu saw one single shop partially opened, the desperate owner trying to sell out his goods despite the strict orders. She hurried to him. "How much is this bun dada?" she said. "Five rupees each!" said the restless shopkeeper. "Can I have two for seven rupees?" she said hoping the least. "No only one for five rupees!" - he barked.

Nitu watched her brother eat the bun with content. Her heart filled with joy watching the little boy smile at her. The two one rupee coins jingled in her pocket as she walked. A huge banner on their way said, "Celebrating Independence Day on August, 15th, at Town Boarding Field." A tri-colour flag on the banner, little did Nitu and Baba understand. "There'll be people coming to the temple tomorrow." Nitu thought, "We shall have a good meal then."

Dusk was about to fall in. Somewhere in a household, a song was heard being played - "We shall overcome... We shall overcome... We shall overcome one day... Man me he vishwas... Pura he vishwas... We shall overcome one day..."

END