An excerpt from my upcoming book, a part-fiction called The Journey.... I met or rather came across this fellow the other day. Unkempt chap he was, holding an ancient looking harvesting tool in his hand and his other worldly possessions packed in a bundle of clothes hung around his shoulders. He must have walked a long way, from some far away village in search of a something that only he seemed to know. He was obviously hungry but his self-respect prevented him to request for any help. He was a handsome looking bloke in a rugged way. Quite tall & sinewy I should say. His eyes said it all. There was no desperation I saw, but questions that seemed to ask, why me, why this long walk leaving everything behind? I immediately felt a connection of feelings, of unequal existence, of inequalities that stand out everywhere.. Probably he had stories to tell. About the sheer hard life and problems he & his folks face back in their very remote village. A world of its own, unheard of for the city bred elites like us. A typical middle class brain that wouldn’t venture beyond our limited realms. Later on, it so happened that this man found a job at a wholesale grain merchant as a loader. He proceeds much later to the bazaar and buys himself some T-shirts, towels, new underwear, bed sheets and pillow covers along with some toiletries from the money loaned by his new employer. His mind is now settled and since he had realised that it was no more a dream but he was walking on real ground.His name is Laxman. “Now Laxman, listen to me” began the sober K Ram, the good natured merchant. . “You say you are from Rampura. I know where it is and it is far, very far from here. I know you walked here all the way, you don’t have to tell me that. Do you have a family there, wife and parents?” “Yes sahib I do. I have a small wife, I mean two small children and a wife. My aged parents also live there” “I see you are still nervous. Calm down. Things will work for you. Why don’t you start working as of tomorrow. Later may be once you settle a bit, you can go and fetch your family. I have a small house in my compound where you all can stay and perhaps your wife can be our domestic help. But that may take about two months. Once I get 3 more workers, I’ll let you visit your village. We will pay her also and take care of your children’s studies. Now, how old are your parents did you say?” “Sahib, two months? I don’t know but, they are old. I don’t know but may be around 40 or 50 years old. My children I think are 3 and 5 and my wife is 15 I think” K Ram stared at him for a while, highly amused. Here is a poor village bloke who does not understand numbers at all. He looks to be in his 30’s, his wife must be in her 20’s perhaps and parents must be in their 60’s or 70’s, he decided.......
Posted on: Sat, 16 Aug 2014 10:38:27 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015