An Old Man

My friend wanted to purchase a desktop PC, so I decided to accompany him. Once outside, while he was doing the dirty work of selecting his ideal PC, I decided to get myself a Chaat (Dahi puri) at one of the street corners.
While I was eating, a beggar came by my side and said "Aye bhav, doon paise deto ka bhau. Khuup upkaar hotil malay chaay payche." (“Hello brother, can you give me some money? I want to drink tea).
He was an old man with a moustache and a beard, and he had a stick with him. I usually don’t entertain such people, but at the moment I had a change of heart. I put my hand inside my pockets and grabbed around 5 to 6 rupees worth of change. I gave it to him, and proceeded to inquire him for a bit to kill the time.
Me: So where are you from?
Old man: I’m from Akola, sir.
Me: What are you doing over here in Nagpur? And how did you get into this situation?
Old man: I have some medical problem. I came here for my operation. It costs a lot of money, so every paise I earn, goes straight to my doctor. I can’t even afford to eat one good meal these days.
Me: But don’t you have a family? No wife or children to take care of you in your fragile state?
Old man: Yes, but what difference does it make? After marriage no one bothers about his or her family! My son lives in Pune with his wife. He has been ignoring me since the day he got married. After all that I had done to raise him in a suitable environment, this is the gratitude I get. I have a daughter too, but she got married last year. It would be immoral on my part to bend down and plea in front of my son in law.
Me: And your wife? Where is she now?
Old man: Sir, my wife passed away. I have a land in Akola which I use to cultivate cotton. I have sold some of it to pay off my medications. All my brothers and sisters are selfish, haranguing me to sell my land asking for their share of it.
Me: So what you going to do now?
Old man: I’ll probably go back to Akola and wait for the cotton to grow, so I can sell it to settle my expenses! Then I’ll be free from all this load. One thing’s for sure, I am not going to sell my land for the sake of siblings, because nobody gives a damn about my wellbeing. I am a Marathi Manus, begging doesn't suit me, and it doesn’t do my image any good. But my conditions are such that I don’t have a choice. So I’m trying to get as much help as I can financially, so that I can sleep peacefully on the foot path and catch the next bus to Akola in the morning.
Me: That’s good, take care of yourself!

Old man: Thank you, kind sir! You came to me as a God’s helping hand. You are like a God to me. Thank you again for your consideration, may God bless you!

Dear readers, I just want to say something. The next time you find yourself in a similar situation, try showing a bit more compassion. Who knows, the slightest bit of positive energy you radiate might just be sufficient enough to take that one unfortunate person’s life by storm.

Make believe life's beautiful, though the sorrows pours out, and happiness flourishes!