Tuesday, July 06, 2010

The lives people lead.
It is dark, past eight when I hail an auto.
And am shocked to see a child's foot suddenly in front of my face.
On the shelf meant for luggage..."Hey there's a child here!"
"That's my daughter, she travels with me."
The child, Anjali, is almost two. Her mother died when the baby was seven months old.
Since then, that shelf is her creche, day care center, whatever.
No, there is no one else. No one.
The child seems fine, we clap and play a game of sorts, now I see you now I don't.
This is what is.
What was it that I was antsy about?


Waiting at the docs for a routine test.
Waiting in the queue is a girl- child, not more than 22, her head covered with a veil.
An older woman is escorting her.
"Seven months? You don't seem that..."
"The doc was worried too, says the girl frets too much."
"So lucky to be having a baby at the right time."
"That's what I keep telling her.So many women are desperate for a chance.."
"And how many children do you have?"
"Wed at fourteen, twenty years into my marriage, and none.. my younger sister-in-laws often remind me ...."
"And your husband?"
"Mandir or doctor.He refuses to accompany me. After twenty years of being married"
She looks away,trying to hide the moisture in her large eyes.
The lives people lead.

It was a routine paper requirement, but the respect the parent was accorded at the police stn was impressive.

7 comments:

shiv said...

Great pieces ... on the face of it, childhood wasted, none to take "care" as care is meant to be, but then that is life, "that is what it is ...", as you say !!
When you look into each life, there is so much pain, but look further and you will see God helping them to forget that pain .. be it the child in the auto or the woman in the clinic.

Shruthi said...

Anjali's story is haunting me.

Leni Qinan said...

This makes me think we don't know how lucky we are.

The story of little Anjali is heartbreaking. Poor kid.

And the woman in the clinic, with her sorrow... makes you think indeed, the lives people lead...

AmitL said...

Hi,Austy-the lives people lead,indeed..makes me wonder-do they get the proverbial knocking at their door and don't answer?Or,is it fate that keeps them where they are?As some people say 'it's all decided up there, before you're born-your kismet,your time on earth...'..but,I don't really believe in the full veracity of this..Yes,it's written,but,the chances do come..surely,unexpectedly..ah well.

xyz said...

when i read somethg like dis.. i m just forced to sit back and count my blessings.. we crib on such small issues..thr is so much more to life...

PQ said...

Each has such different problems...i have often wondered how God multi-tasks in handling every issue...well if at all he does....& hope he really does...since we all need Him

austere said...

shiv- yes. Indeed.What is, is.

Shruthi... oh


Leni- and yet we don't often count out blessings and little trimmings.And the guts of her father, standing by her.

Amit- just chance, luck, fate. I don't think any God would be as unkind.

Abhilasha- haan. And look at these people.


PQ- He could sure use some help with the coding. :D