Shattering hopes.......

I have this bad habit of studyin the stuff around... and I was readin this college magazine ... some04-05 addition... some gud stuff... some usual job mournings.... but there was this article which made me think something.....

It was mid June. The compartment was packed toits full capacity. The sun was at its scorching best.Everyone was dripping with sweat. Even the two fans were not of much help. They rotated, only reluctantly, as though worn down themselves by the heat and mourning over their misery. People struggled to keep themselves awake each leaning against the others to find support.The fat gentleman in front of me hardly managed himself from toppling over, jerking out of his slumber occasionally only to slump again. The only people unaffected by the surroundings were a group of daily commuters, who found their relief in a game of cards, and a lady who was kept busy by her two month old baby. I was spared the fate by the occasional jokes the group shared and the thick tobacco smoke that filled the compartment making it suffocating. But the rhythmic beats the train played made me drowsy. Suddenly the compartment was filled with a soft,sweet sound of singing. It caught attention of everybody.Not that everyone was particularly interested. Some lazy eyes opened, too reluctant to let the dreams walk away from them. Some backs bent, curiously to take a look.The cards stayed where they were. Jokes were suspended mid-way. The sloth hovering in the atmosphere vanished for a while. Then appeared a little girl, about nine years of age, crooning a lewd song from the movies. She had a lovely round face covered all over by dirt. Her hair were untidily entangled and stood like a pile of jute. She had big dreamy, imploring eyes, telling tales of miseries unheard and unattended. She wore a pink frock that had almost turned to black due to mud and grease on it. It was torn to rags. She had a melodious voice. Only her throat appeared sore of too much singing. She was accompanied by her younger sister who looked almost like her, only that she was much shorter. It was clear that they both hadn’t had anything to eat for sometime. There was a mixed show of emotions. The fat gentleman seemed visibly upset to have been forced to…his sleep. The woman with a child gave her a glare showing her displeasure and held her child closer to her as if protecting him from a parasite. The group was the most interested. They had found a new mode of entertainment. Others remained inert, trying to return to their original personal shells.

“ Go away! Find yourself some other place to beg.” “ What a mess she is. Think of the parents. They give them birth and leave them to beg. Who allows them to enter a reserved compartment?”“Oh come on sir (ma’am)! She is just a little girl. Hey,show us a little dance also. Then you will get money. ”“Sing another song.” Two pair of eyes gleamed. Smiles crossed two faces on hearing coins jingling. The little girl switched to another song and her sister tried to dance only managing to hop and fling her arms up and down. She was too young for that stuff. Then there was laughter and amusement. Another joke got its deserved share of response. Few more dreams were trampled under those little hopping feet. Another earnest plead for a helpful hand was drowned in the sound of a soulful song and filthy laughter. And two more children were made to believe, once again that this was the ultimate reality. A fate destiny had chosen for them from which they had no escape. To act as clowns in front of some indifferent people. To ask help from a group of people who were impotent to rise above their own petty…and offer a comforting hand. The bargain was made. The girl collected a few coins and moved on. Her voice lingered around for a while, then faded. Everything was normal again. The jokes continued. People again adjusted themselves into comforting positions. The train moved ahead into the journey........

Now I realized that there is somethin which we are still ignorin... Now I know that I really am a fortunate one... coz there are some people in this world whose means of living still depends on people laughing on them.......

Lets all promise ourself that we will do somethin for these kinda kids......