I have been very much affected by other people’s pain. It is a heart wrenching feeling. The sheer magnitude of the problem in India however numbs you. There are so many such people in distress in India that after a certain point in time they fade into the background.
I had gone to a computer training institute on Dec 26th at 10 AM. The person that I had to talk to had not yet arrived. So I decided to go downstairs to a small tea shop and have a cup of tea. I sat on a wall with a cup of tea in my hands and my feet dangling in the air. A small boy with a bag slung across his shoulders comes to me.
Boy “Sir, can I polish your shoes for you?”
Me “How much will that cost me?”
Boy “It will be only Rs 5.00 (10 cents)”
Me “Ok. Go ahead and polish my shoes”
At that point he proceeds to start to untie my laces. I am startled by that. It is disrespectful to make some one else remove your shoes. Touching someone’s feet is a sign of great respect and reverence only to be used in exceptional circumstances.
Me “I will untie my shoes. Please don’t untie my shoes for me”
Boy “I will do it, Sir”
Me “No, no. There is no need for that”
I remove my shoes and hand them over to the young boy. He unties his bag, takes out a small box of shoe polish and a brush and diligently starts to polish my shoes. It is a sad sight. He is a very nice kid. He starts to get comfortable with me and starts to talk. He recognizes that I am from Punjab since I am wearing my turban.
Boy “I am from Punjab too, Uncleji”
Every one is an uncle or aunt in India. The term is used as a sign of familiarity for elder neighbour’s and acquantiances. Uncles and aunts have formal titles and are rarely referred to as Uncle or Aunt. For example Chacha refers to a fathers brother. So I would call my dads brother as Chacha rather than Uncle. My neighbour, however, will always be Uncle. Suffixing a ji after a name is a mark of respect. So my Chacha would be called Chachaji. If I wanted to call my friend Becky with respect, I would call her “Becky ji”. She would sound like a rapper “Becky G” . Not to digress so I get back to the subject.
Me “Really? What part of Punjab are you from”
Boy “I am from the village of ”
Me “How long have you been in Bombay now?”
Boy “I have been here for 2 years now. Can I put some varnish on your shoes?”
Me “Go ahead and put some varnish on my shoes”
Me “Who do you live with here? “
Boy “My entire family moved from Punjab. I have a father, mother and 4 other siblings and we live here in Vashi”
Me “Do you go to school?”
At this time the boy is polishing the shoes and talking to me at the same time.
Boy “No, I don’t go to school. But my brothers and sisters all go to school. My father sells blankets on the streets”
Me “Did you have breakfast in the morning?” I think of buying him some breakfast.
Boy “Yes, Uncleji. I did have breakfast. “
Me “What did you have for breakfast?” I know the answer to this question because I am from Punjab and we pretty much have the same breakfast.
Boy “ I had parathas for breakfast”
I break in to grin. “I had parathas too.”
Boy “I have these insoles that I sell for Rs 25. Your shoes could use them. Do you want the insoles?”
Me “Yes, go ahead and put the insoles too”
Me “Do you manage to make a decent living polishing shoes?”
Boy “It is ok. Not great“
Me “What is your name?”
Boy “My name is Arjun, Uncleji.”
Me “Do you mind if I take a picture of you?”
Boy “No. I don’t mind”
I take a picture and show him the picture. His face lights up when he see’s himself on the LCD”
At this point, he is done polishing the shoes.
Me “How much do I have to pay you?”
Boy “Rs 35”
I give him Rs 40 and ask him to keep the change. I am tempted to give him Rs 50 but I don’t want to spoil him. As he leaves, he says “Accha namaste, Uncleji. I hope to meet you agin”. I tell him “Namaste, beta.”
Young kids like him are fodder for exploitation here. They lose their innocence fast once they are exploited. There is no choice in that matter. Survival on the streets is very hard especially for children. I pray that he is safe in life.
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