Laxmi

I met Laxmi Yesterday. While speaking with her many times I felt she’s trying to hide her tears and I found myself doing the same.

Laxmi was always one of the smartest kids from the ‘Outreach program’, started by my previous office for school going kids from the slums.
My maid is Laxmi’s neighbour so never lost touch with her though the Outreach program closed.
One day I heard a while ago that she’s stopped going to school.
That was the thing I always feared of. She was so smart, if she continues studies, she may do well, be independent. I called her home advised her not to leave school…and she too was willing to join back…though it was more in her parents hands. But the next this I heard was that she is sent for work as domestic help. Her parents want her to earn.
In this job Laxmi had to take care of 2 kids [girls almost her age!] Before Laxmi’s elder sister was doing the job for about 2 years and now they needed Laxmi too.

I wonder why.

A week back the lady, the girl’s mom went on a holiday, along with her 2 daughters, and Laxmi’s elder sister. She asked Laxmi to stay back with her husband…!
The very next day little Laxmi came home crying…
She’s been crying all these days, my maid told me.

Laxmi is sure that her elder sister too has gone through this, but never told anyone…

She doesn’t want to go back there. But her drunkard father and selfish mother still want to send her there so they can get some money to fulfil some ‘navas’, a promise made to their god.
They even told her that if she doesn’t go there, she’ll have to make her own arrangements.

I want to teach a lesson to that beast who spoilt the childhood of don’t know how many kids.

I told Laxmi to be strong and straightaway tell the parents ‘NO’.
I promised her yesterday that I’m by her side, and that if she has nowhere to go she can take her bag and come to my house.
I don’t know I’ll solve the whole thing, how I’ll face her mean parents and donno what I’ll say when they simply will ask me to stay away from their family affairs.

All I know is that I want to save this child.

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The Q

Last week I went to the airport to see off my younger brother. He was leaving for the UK on some onsite project. He joined the Q, I too was just beside him in the Q but then he had to go ahead to the entrance and I stayed and watched him from behind.

I could intensely feel he was tired of all the running around, tensed, nervous about going to a new place alone.
I remembered how, when in same school I used to go to his class to pick him after the school gets over. I would wait out side his class while all the children came out in a Q. Once while he was in the Q, excited that the school’s over, looking at me smilingly, I told him that he had forgotten to take his schoolbag!

Now he went in silently like a big boy, tried to look back just once, and went ahead.

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Budhkar Kaka :-)

Met Budhkar Kaka after many years, almost 6..7… or 8?
But I still knew how he would talk and I knew he would still be a lively person.
I remember, when I was a kid, he had started many activities in the colony. If the colony is green today, its all thanks to him. He even started a young people’s group, activities, celebrations and really made things Happen.
Now after so many years many changes have taken place. I remember, many years back he had suddenly stopped taking part in all the social activities. And since then the atmosphere in the colony isn’t as friendly as it used to be.
Now after so many years I told him how I still appreciate him and his work, to which he said something very nice. He said, We should remember that something good happened, and not the person who made it happen. Don’t keep faith in a person, it breaks. Believe in his principles.
Well these aren’t things I didn’t know before, but it just came from a right person in right context. It all has just increased my respect for him.

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