Tuesday, May 10, 2005

the refreshment which didn't relieve me!

It was turning out to be a normal day of my life and as usual, worthless to be stored in memory, that I decided to wind up my work for the day. I left my office, pushed myself into an auto rickshaw and reached SR Nagar where my flat was. For small refreshment I got into a nearby snacks bar. Two Egg-puffs and a Mirinda should do it for the time being, I thought, and gave the order, with due remembrance of the local baker for the delicious puffs and the MNC for the Mirinda. With the puffs in my hand I silently ushered myself to the corner of the snacks stall to enjoy my meal.

Two minutes passed and I saw a man approaching the snack stall with three children who were hardly 3 feet tall. Seeing the partially filled table where I was sitting, they came to my place and the man seated those children near me and left for a nearby shop. I noticed those kids watching me eating but continued with my food as if I have not seen them. I finished eating the first puff and placed the plastic plate on the table to start with my second bite.

After sometime I felt people who were sitting around staring at me and I looked at them to find out what really was happening. Their looks guided me to my own table where I had put the paper plate. The children were picking bits and pieces from the plate and eating it! I couldn’t believe my eyes for sometime. I never expected that such a thing would happen. For sometime I was doing a situational analysis in my mind as to how to handle the situation.

I asked them whether they would like to have puffs and in reply the three delivered a smile, which I later realized was due to the language barrier I possessed. I didn’t know Telugu! I looked around for a helping hand, at least the bearer, so that I can order some puffs for them. And what will the man who brought them think when he comes to know that I had bought them food. Stranger in a strange land!

Suddenly the three took off from their chairs and headed towards the door. Yes the man was coming back. And to my relief a group of college students substituted their place. The children didn’t appear to be from the lower class of society. But still I don’t understand how these happened. And at the end, the worthless day turned out to be an eventful day. But i didnt feel myself refreshed...