I worked in a company, a software company. This, at most of the times means, that I am a busy guy, daily morning at 8 left for office, do my work by default, and as usual at 6:30, left for home. My bus for going home is always fixed, Bus no 24 to Annapurna Mandir. But I need to wait for it for atleast 10-15 minutes.
That was Monday, I saw an old lady sitting on a thelagaadi, she was looking very old, probably crossed 80. She was blind by sight, and just sitting on that thelagaadifor, I think more than 24 hours a day. In morning when I came, I saw her. In evening, when I go back, I saw her. That thelagaadiwas parked in between city's one of the unauthorised dustbin centre and that was located in one of the posh corner of the locality. She never asked anything to anybody. But her face always try to say something. But I was a software engineer, the future of India, so being a dumb person, I just observed her daily and continue my daily process of going.
One evening, I saw, many kids are kicking and beating that lady, I don't know why, probably because, she can't say anything, that she was just an old lady. Another evening I saw a man beating her, and he even took that thelagaadi,dropping her behind in that trash. She didn't said a word, and I continue my daily process.
It was friday, the weekend is about to start in few hours, but monsoons are already there. It started raining, and I ran for the bus stop. When I reached the stop, rains are pouring heavily. Just by habit I looked at the same dustbin centre, that evening as well. That lady was still there, sitting, getting soaked by the heavy rains. I don't know, why this time I went up to her, probably want to shout on her, "Kya kar rahi hai pagli, marna hai kya baarish mein bheegke." And I went, just touched her, and her body dropped. Her soul was already gone from her body, and that old lady became a "Pata nahin kaun pagal thi!!" discussions of onlookers.
GRuchirG.
