Kaleidoscope

By Sukumar Ruj

 “Hi gentlemen! Can I get two rupees? I wanna feed my kids?”

     A young woman in her torn saree, torn blouse covering her chest, with bloated tummy, is carrying a rickety child on her right shoulder. A bare-bodied uncombed girl-child with a lot of thick liquid running out of the nose holding her mother’s hand is extending one hand forward. 

     The first commuter is not an urban man, but from countryside. He thinks, “What a pathetic sight! Very poor! Doesn’t her hubby earn any money?’ Village party-members speak right, ‘Our country is now facing a pitiful condition.”

     The second everyday commuter expresses hatred in mind, “What a stupid appearance! What a refuse in the society! Not properly fed, still craving for physical pleasure! One is in the arm, one on the shoulder and the other probably growing within.”

     The third one is the resident of a high-rise housing. He reckons, “They still enjoy pleasure despite facing hardship and it proves that one is in the arm, one hanging over the shoulder and perhaps carrying even one more within. But we’re yet to grab neither of them!”

     The fourth passenger is somewhat a labourer. He quickly pulls out a two-rupee note and stretches towards the woman and says, ‘Why don’t you earn your living? Does begging fill your hunger?

     The woman in her low voice speaks, “yes, I rather do it! Customers are scarcely found every night.  

     Her words make the first one obviously confused. A smile flashes across on the second’s face. Taking out a ten-rupee currency the third one wants to know, “Hey woman, where you live?”

     The fourth one spits his anger aloud, “Hey, you nasty woman! Return my two rupees.”    

By Sukumar Ruj