Being in the hostel has really taught me so much , something that i would have not seen being under the care n concern of my loved ones.
It was like any other Sunday afternoon , I had watched a movie as per my Sunday routine and now was going for my lunch to the mess. A little boy dancing happily swinging his arms and humming a tune walked along his "Biji" (grand ma) holding her little finger. I was just looking at the boy's face which seemed so jollity that i couldn't stop myself from smiling. The last time i remember being so blithe was when my Lil bro was born..well leave that apart..but truly he made me remember my darling lil brother....As i entered and saw the long Queue lined up the boys thoughts were all lost. I like others joined that huge line waiting to reach the food stalls...it took me nearly 20 minutes to place a sabzi and two chapatis on my plate and i was already half not in the mood for the sweet dish which by the way was a banana..I sat on the first seat and wanted to leave that asylum like chatter house as soon as possible...waiting for the mess worker to get glasses at the water cooler I noticed that lil boy still happy n joyfully with his biji...
He asked his biji to buy him a packet of chips and wanted a chocolate. His biji started to count the money that she had..only 20 bugs thats it..she told him "Inder baby just take any one of them " the boy resisted but decided to buy a packet of chips...she happily took out that 20 Rs note and handed it to the mess worker and bought the packet of chips..I saw the boy noticing his Biji's actions.. He took the packet of chips and saw his biji going towards the water cooler to have a glass of cold water a few minutes later that lady washed her hands and picked up the mop to clean the rooms and started to walkout of the mess. The boy hadn't opened his packet yet..but was just looking at his biji..as soon as she walked out .. he ran towards the mess worker and handed the packet to him and said in his cuddly tone..."Please give me the lunch Packet instead of this." .. I was taken aback on his sentence . And I just kept staring at that little boy... How did a 3yr old understand that his grandmother was hungry working all day cleaning rooms and still giving away her lunch for her grandson's wish...how did he realize this... i stood up and went behind that litle boy..who went out hugged his biji and had lunch with her. She was all in tears I guess i did miss the initial moments..But the boy said.. "Biji the chips aren't as tasty as is the chapati, i'll tell dad to buy one for me in the evening".The boy was happy and and delighted as before with contentment in his eyes as if his wish had been fulfilled...
My eyes were wet and i had no clues whatsoever of this unsaid feelings that they both shared... The love that they both had..And the little boys's understanding appalled me completely. Was it the innocence or was it the understanding I really had no words. I went back to the mess bought a packet of chips and came out and gave it to that boy. His biji resisted but looking into his child's eyes accepted it. I loved the smile that he had after holding it.
Looking at them i realized that its such a mixed world where people with everything keep crying for nothing and where people with nothing are happy with everything they have...and truly God can be felt in a child...in his innocence...
