Beggar-34

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Arthit settled down with three his  new friends or rather brothers named Tew, Aim and Oak.  They were the ones who took care his  post surgery needs.  It took three months to normalize his day to day activities without any support or aid.   Arthit did not ask them as to how they arranged for such a huge amount for his medical expenses nor did they ever revealed to them how they managed to do it.

Each took turn to be with Arthit when he was in hospital and shadowed him every second and every minute of their stay there.  Arthit became quiet and introvert.  He managed to utter only bear minimum words for convey his requirements to the nurse and to his friends.  Although, he was quite amused by them, they quarreled among themselves to be with Arthit since they found sudden likeness to smart, young and handsome brat.  They still called him Grumpy and Arthit, the beggars.  But something changed in due course of time, the three friends started washing and scrubbing themselves since their time to spend with Arthit came, each looked the best.  They wanted to be clean and tidy without any obnoxious wafting through their new friend.  Finding it more comically and rather touched by their actions, Arthit often teased them that they dressed themselves in order to impress him but he was not gay for which Oak blurted out without much thought,

"I know Grumpy, you are gay only for your beggar".

"Shut up, you asshole. Is there any need to mention his name ".

"It is okay Tew. Oak just said what is true".

"I am sorry Grumpy.  I will not talk about it again".  

"Ok forget whatever  said.  Let's enjoy our Grumpy's release from the hospital", chirped Aim.

Aim was the most understanding of all the three.  As soon as Arthit reached the exit door to go out of the prison, he felt a kind of solace in finding three brothers for himself even though his own blood attempted to kill him for wealth.  He lost his family but gained a rather strange and loving family who did not ask anything in return.  In fact, Arthit was at the receiver 's end.   Once, When Arthit was totally lost to his pain, fear and immobility, he mentioned that he was a sack, full of burden and remorse, for which all three very tenderly confessed that,

"You are our Kong's burden, so what if he is not here with you.  We are there to protect you and once you are healed and on your feet, we will be burden on you.  Three against one.  All four sat in Oak's taxi and started the drive. Nobody asked or said the destination but they just drove aimlessly.   Arthit was quite amazed and fascinated at the change of the city, since his parents' dead and his own struggle after losing them.  The car stopped at Rojnapat's house and Arthit was quite surprised. He looked at them and said,

"Where are we?"

"Grumpy, this is your house.  You have got an amnesia".

"Shut up Oak".

"Arthit, we know that you are rich and that you live here.   This is where you belong".

"You are serving me to my enemy.  How much they paid you?  Oh, or am I  burden to you".

"Arthit, how dare you speak to us like that.  We brought you here so that you get justice for parents' killing and retrieve what is legally yours.  We are there with you to get them out of your way".

"I do not want anything.  I don't justice.   I want to be with my new friends.  I am  a beggar now.  I want to leave a life of beggar.  I want a new life, a life where there is love, trust and care exist, even if there is no money or food, if even I have to live in filth and hunger.  I will, if you feel I am a burden them I will leave you all".

The four friends hugged each other tightly and drove back to their world of filth, dirt, stench, hunger and poverty but with a calmness in their heart of togetherness.  Since Arthit came through their lives, the three friends gave up pick-pocketing, doing job as drug peddlers etc.  They all gathered at different spiritual places and begged for alms including Arthit.  Arthit was the hero, since his handsomeness, his gentleness and smile attracted many to forgo whatever they had with them.   Life was sailing smoothly with each having a fair share of money and food for them.   Though begging was a crime, but to bring those crooked friends of Arthit back to track, he had to resort to begging, at least they stopped illegal activities against begging.  Slowly but steadily, Arthit was changing  the lives of three friends.

Regarding his own family, he contacted his family lawyer and made his uncle, aunt and his own brother, the owners of the Rojnapat Property.  When the three confronted him and mocked at his cowardice, Arthit said,

"I am brave enough to forgive you even though you killed my parents.  Money is all you want, you should have told me, I would have given you in charity.   I have lost everything in my life, but I have gained love, undying love, which will definitely protect and cherish me.  By giving away my wealth, I am handing over guilt, greed, unhappiness, stress, remorse, fear and above all suspicion to ruin your so called ultra-rich world.  I forgive you all.  May you leave happily with this", so saying he stepped out of his previous life and entered a new life.  As soon as Arthit left, Rojnapats regretted their action and surrendered themselves to the law leaving behind the entire property as charitable trust.  As far as Pearl was concerned, she wanted to be back in Arthit's life, but he rejected her saying he was already betrothed to someone and asked her settle with some honest guy in her life.

It had been four and half years,  the four friends no longer begged but managed the Charitable Trust as partners tending to the needs of the poor.   A person named Knot too expressed his willingness to join the trust to work as an office boy.  Arthit was quite surprised when he came to know that he was a mafia leader.  But when the change of heart occurred to him, he decided to make him the part of charitable trust.  In fact, Pearl too joined the trust and all six of them worked harder to fight hunger and poverty in the city.   They had earned the love and trust of not only poor people but also the government.  They were the most reputed Institution who catered to the needs of the poor people like constructing schools, hospitals, factories and colleges for them.  Arthit mostly worked on the criminals who lived in asylums.  There,  he spotted HIM again.  After almost four and half years later, he spotted his love,his breath, his life, his beggar.

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Not proof read. 


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