Shadows And Light

By Rajiv Khandelwal

He was a Non-Resident Indian 

Having long lived in a land of open doors

Where no shadows forcibly fall on any person 

Free from the chains of a stratified social order

Where every person can sculpt his/her future

He was currently visiting India 

And saw no social stigma 

On sitting upon the string cot 

Of the marginalised family 

Employed in cleaning the road side public lavatory

And in sipping tea 

Brewed by the sweeper's wife 

Noted for her striking beauty

He quickly devised a plan  

To remove the untouchable label

When he initiated free distribution 

To girls of the locality  

Through the sweepers hands 

In a day

The deeply ingrained social bias

Of those who would normally hesitate twice

To have the sweepers shadow fall on them

Were almost mobbing to get the freebees

From the hands of the socially disadvantaged sweeper

Seeing social barriers crumbling 

The expat, bought 

The sweeper and his children branded jean 

For the wife, expensive salwar-kameez 

Which they initially wore with unease 

One day 

He brought sweets and treats for the children's delight

Ordered a banquet of chicken 

A feast to brighten their night

To light up their dark corners 

Gifted them an Android Television

Amid the scorching heat, they comfortably sleep better 

He presented them with a Desert-Cooler  

Promised education, to unlock their children’s future  

Most of all he gifted to the family 

A newfound sense of dignity 

Through his generous and thoughtful support

He changed their horoscope  

And instilled in them, a palpable sense of hope

Those untouched by his assistance

Weaved a web of whispers in envy

As baseless as shadows cast in the dark

About the Expat and the sweepers wife

By Rajiv Khandelwal