Friday was a working day for me and so i set off as usual in my auto to office. As the guy dropped me at my destination he return me the change 10 bucks short. I looked at him and he said Diwali Bakshish madam. I smiled and said what will u do with 10 bucks will give u something else. He smiled sheepishly with a glimmer in his eye and returned the money. I could see the clouds of his wishes of getting a brand new shirt and trouser to replace is old tattered one. I smiled and walked on.
Reached the subway and as usual took out the freshly packed food which mom gives me religiously everyday for the old beggar man. As i reached to hand it to him he utters in his tired broken voice " beta aaj dus rupee bhee dete jaoo" - meaning child give me 10 bucks today. I was shocked to hear his voice coz i had thought his old age had eaten away his voice. At a loss of words i only scurried away to reach the swipe machine just in time.
As the day reeled by many a people came by to claim the ten rupee note in my pocket and i wondered whats with the ten bucks for the day. Now i wanted to know what would happen to it in the end? Would it simply go up in smoke? Would i drop it somewhere on the road? What would it buy for me today.
Loads of work loads of gifts. Small gestures making people smile, cry, hug and cheer... I saw different shades of emotions in my office. I gave away some of the corporate gifts to our secretarial staff and they all looked up to me like an angel...i felt i didnt deserve it. They hugged and blessed and it felt very warm. My bosses blessed me like a small kid of the house. Felt even better. I walked around my office like it really was my own company. With the guards saluting and the peons smiling and all my colleagues and seniors wishing me.
Magical momment of truth - honesty, sincerity and humbleness are great virtues no one can beat. and then in the magic i drifted away, sitting in my auto i started on my way home.
The auto driver was happy too and we chit chatted along the way. Stopped by a CNG station and i had to wait. So i wandered to the small flee market nearby. It had shops selling glittering stuff of not much value but to people it was luxuries Diwali shopping. It was a different feeling to walk by like a stranger just looking at things and watching people. Their eyes glittered when they saw the candles and crackers, each wanting to buy the best their pocket would let. loads of people celebrating the same festival, each in his own limitations.
There was a little girl, wearing a pink frock. She sat on the foot path in a small corner. She had dry grass in her hand with which she was sweeping the small corner of her footpath under the tree. Then she brought out a small cardboard piece which was torn tattered and dirty but had images of Ganpati and Laxmi printed on it. She kept it under the tree and then put some roadside flowers in front of it. Then she lit up the grass and kept in in another piece of cardboard in front of the picture. That was her diwali pooja.
In that area you can buy a handfull of milk sweets, a couple of diyas and a small box of coloured matches which burn like a sparkler in ten bucks.
I bought a bagfull of peace in my heart and a smile which i shall beam at all the egoistic fools, materialistic jerks and ruthless diplomats for a couple of months atleast. God Bless the little child...and may god let me see more of such little girls in my life :-)
