Those Doleful Eyes…

                         Those were the saddest eyes I’ve ever seen in my life. Those eyes had no sparkle or a tinkle in them. They seemed like the still water of a dark lake. And the irony was that that they looked calm and miserable at the same time. The countenance on her face was very deplorable. A packet of ‘Parle G’ clutched in one hand and a few coins in other; she looked at me with hope. She must have been 6-8 years old. Her hair was cropped. She had worn a magenta coloured top and skirt which was frayed at several places. She looked fragile and lost. She advanced towards me with an expectation to get some alms in return; maybe a rupee or two. Usually I don’t give alms to children. Instead I give food to them. Since I didn’t have any food with me, I ignored her and continued listening to music as the train passed through Chembur station.

                        But something kept on bothering me. I realized that I was so lucky that my parents could provide me with everything that I needed. Because of my parents I had access to education and a plethora of opportunities whereas that little girl was helpless. She had no access to basic human needs. There are many children like her who are denied their childhood. They are made to beg. And I felt really bad about it. My eyes were almost moist. I succeeded in suppressing my break down which otherwise would have resulted in public humiliation. Yet, I couldn’t shake out that feeling.

                        So, I called that girl and gave her twenty rupees. Not that it would have helped her a lot but anyway I would have ended up spending it on some silly thing. And if that was making her happy I was ready to give it to her. She took the note from me and went and stood near the exit. As Kurla station approached, she got down. She came to the window where I was sitting and smiled at me. That was the most genuine and warm smile I had ever seen.  The train started to move ahead and she disappeared in the crowd on the platform. I looked out for her until she vanished out of my sight. And there I sat in the train, contemplating about children like her whose childhood was tormented.