For a moment ago, i thought i left writing. Maybe i didn’t have time or maybe i was just thinking about getting ahead in life. Its my final year in the college. And with college has come responsibility. I got to know that my name got forwarded to be made president of the department. And im not at all happy with that. I just want to focus on my career ahead. I got my unit results and i have fed good than most of my class mates. Well, yes everybody cheated and so did i in my own ways. But i have no guilt. Desperate time, Desperate measures. My family had gone for the whole week on a trip during my unit exams and i couldn’t go because of it. Anyway, that’s not the thing i want to get out of my head.
So on the second paper of the units, i was late as my maid came late, My dog wasnt agreeing to stay out of the house for some time and obviously i got up a bit late since i slept late (Late night study). As i rushed to the station platform i climed up the bridge and had to get down, on the turn of the stairs to get down, i found a lady holding a cardboard with white paper sticked on it and something written in Marathi (It is my own mother tongue but i am bad at it in reading) There was a photo of a kid too sticked on that cardboard. She was just holding it in her hand.
I am good at reading faces/Body language. I saw deep grief in the lady. She was old and was just standing with her self made cardboard. I barely saw everything for 2 seconds since i was literally running down to catch the train. But i missed it. My heart felt heavy at the very instant. Did that old lady lost her kid? What is written on that board she made. The thing that struct me was she was no beggar. We can make out difference between beggars and normal people.
So all sorts of questions started playing in my head. Has anything happened to her kid, Can i help her with something, What if she isint there when i come back from my exam.
I gave my exam and rushed out of the college. Called pratik and explained him everything what was in my head. He as always was ready to help. I just prayed to god that let the old lady be there. As i climed the stairs, she wasnt there at her place, but as i moved ahead she was sitting on the other side , tired, in sweat, had a plastic box of biscuits to eat. But had the cardboard still holding high up. I was like dude, you give speeches and seminars. You dont have balls to ask what is wrong with her. And with everything i had, I asked her, (“Kay Jhalay Aji”) What has happened grandma. She said her son has cancer and she needs* Help. There was a lot of rush since colleges were leaving at that time. One fucker almost twice of my age had a slight pushed and said moved aside, There was no place so i bent aside so that he could move. He pushed me and said dont i have brains. Why r u standing on the road. Thank GoD there were people and i was half down with sadness for the old ladys son. I swear, i would have ripped his throat apart with my knife. He did say a lot of things but i chose not to pay heed.
I asked her how much money do you need, she said the injections take a lot of money and stuff and I cannot help. There is this thing about Micro-Expressions which can be caught. But the expressions were clear enough to know that she wasnt lying. She asked me how could a guy like me help. I just said give me your no and i will contact u soon. She asked me when will i contact her. I said by evening or tomorrow. I talked to my dad about it, He said people con others by such things. I called up my mom who was on her trip and she said she will look into it when she comes back. i said ok. I called up pratik and told him to call her as an NGO organization and get all info on her. He did as i said. I got everything i asked, from her age till what her son did. She was a flower vendor and had exhausted all her savings to save her son. She gave her name address and even her sons hospital name.
Pratik talked to his mom and she said to stay out of it. And so did his gf. I wasnt really done with this so i followed up the story and got every bloody detail on it.Pratik said he could as ****** for aid. Im like no way. The group is done and so are all the members in it. There is a reason we broke all our contacts with them. Next day was a holiday for me, i went to the hospital to see everything was a sham or just a made up story and my knowledge of psychology was utter bullshit. The enviornment of an hospital is a bit scary, i wont deny. I enquired at the counter that im there looking for a friend. She surfed something on her fat pc and said the room no ****. I went there and there he was. Im 20 yrs of age. He might a year or two less than me. But i knew he was her son. The state he was in couldnt be seen by me. I came home and started studying for my next exam, i couldnt with everything in my head. Jumping during the paper.. Just before i was going to enter the room to write my paper. It was the lady calling. I couldnt do anything at that moment. Should I pick up and say I cannot help u. Or I failed to help u. I put my phone in airplane mode and sat to write the exam. My platinum debit card has also been blocked due to some reason. I cant even help her in any way. I do donate money here and there but now i am helpless. Knowing each and everything about that lady. Situation has made a flower vendor sit on the stairs of a platform and ask for help. I felt like shit that day. I told pratik what happened. He said that i should stay out of it and not get involved.
Today while i was going to college, i saw that lady again sitting and holding her board right up. All i could do was bend my head down and walk past her. What can a 20yr old do anyway. The thing is, even if i empty my offshore account there wont be much for her sons needs. Since the cost is in Millions INR .This is the time i hate being born in a middle class family. But as Bill Gates said - If you are born poor, its not your mistake, But if you die poor , it is your mistake. I dont know what my future is but im going to make sure, i never have to see a woman beg for her kid for help ever again.
