October 26, 2010

Help

“Not again…..” I was annoyed. This was 5th time in a row when our society’s lift was not working. I used stairs to reach my flat on the 8th floor. After reaching there I realized that I forgot my flat keys in office. I called my roommate for the other pair of keys which was with her. She was on the way to home but I had no energy to stand and wait for 45 more minutes. I was tired, and that time I was left with just one option, to go to some neighbor’s house. The door facing my door was Das uncle’s house. He was a middle aged widower and both his sons were settled in other cities. I had not interacted much with him before but because other two neighbors on my floor were out of station for summer vacations, his house was the only shelter for me that time.

He welcomed me to his house and asked the reason for my visit. I asked him for water and a 9-10 your old kid came from kitchen with a tray in his hand. I said thanks to that kid and took the glass. I love sweets and I always keep some chocolates in my bag, I took one out and offered that kid. He was hesitant to take it and looked at Das uncle. Uncle gestured him to take the chocolate and go inside, he told me that this kid is his domestic help. I was little confused as some months back I saw some other kid as his domestic help. But I did not bother to ask him much. I was talking to uncle about some general stuff when my roommate called and informed me that she was back.

****************************
“Shina, today when I was waiting for you in Das uncle’s house I saw his domestic help. He is just 9-10 years old. I feel really bad for the kid.” I said to my roommate Shina.

Shina: That Kid must be from some poor family. They mostly send their children to cities, to work as domestic help or something of that kind, so that they can get some extra money.

“But like other children, they too have the right to study and go to school. We should not boost such bad practices. I think we should talk to Das uncle about this. We should tell him to stop this child labour.” I said in excitement.

“Calm down super girl, It is government’s job so let them do it. Don’t put your hand in someone else’s shit.” Shina switched off the lights and said. “You sleep now, else you will get late for office tomorrow.”

*************************
Six months passed that incident. I was coming back from one of my friend’s place. I stopped my car at traffic signal, and there I saw him. He was selling magazine at the signal. He knocked my window glass and asked me to buy magazine. It took me no time to recognize him. “Hey, you are the same boy who used to work in Das uncle’s house right.” He looked scared and stepped back. “Do you remember me? I came to Das uncle’s house once, I gave you chocolate. Remember?” I asked him again. Now he smiled and nodded in agreement. I was going to have lunch in the nearby mess and don’t know why I felt like treating this kid with a good lunch. “Would you like to have lunch with me?”His eyes sparkled, I asked him to sit in my car. While chitchatting with him I came to know that his name was Sonu, he was an orphan. Das uncle brought him from his orphanage.

We reached the mess. I read the menu for Sonu and asked him what he would like to eat. He settled for a masala dosa and I ordered one regular meal. In few minutes our order arrived and Sonu started enjoying his masala dosa. I was happy to see him happy. We finished our food and ordered ice-cream. Till the time we were waiting for ice-cream, I asked Sonu that why he left Das uncle’s job. He became sad. “Didi, that uncle used to beat me and lock me the kitchen when he used to go out.” I felt pity for the little boy and wondered how Das uncle could do that to a child, He continued “He used to make me do all the household work and he forcefully used to do something with me which I didn’t like.” After that whatever Sonu said was very shocking for me. How could that old man do such thing? How could he be a child molester? I was terrified to hear what the small kid used to go through every day. He was crying while telling me this. I gave him water and made him relax. I asked him how come he reached this signal, where he sells magazines. He said that Das uncle sold him to some other man once he brought another kid from the same orphanage. This man also used to beat him and physically abuse him. One day he forgot to lock Sonu inside the house and that day Sonu ran away from there. He met some other kids near the signal and started working with them in that signal.

Sonu’s story made my eyes wet. I had two options in front of me. Either I should listen to what Shina said “Don’t put your hand in someone else’s shit.” Or I should do something to save the life of the other kid who was with Das uncle. I decided to go for good over bad. I asked Sonu to come with me to the police station. We went to the police station and filed a complaint against Das uncle for Child labour and Child molestation. I even complained against Sonu’s orphanage, for selling children to such people. Police raided Das uncle’s house and saved that kid. They even raided the orphanage and So many hidden secrets came out. There was this entire gang which used to sell the orphanage children and Das was one of their agents. Police arrested Das and his gang, Sonu and other kids of that orphanage were sent to a good Orphanage. Sonu joined school, and I was very happy for him. I was satisfied that I helped these kids and did not ignore, thinking that it was none of my business. I was with good and as always good won over bad.

PS: This is a work of fiction. To live a safe and good life, we have to be good first. It may take some time but at last good will win over bad.



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23 comments:

Nasia said...

:) good wins over bad. Nice flow. Liked it

vicious said...

goooddd..read it in one breath... that was thrilling n sad ...hats off for such a commendable job done ...

Aashish Sood said...

a very good and narrative descriptive... forced to believe that it might as well be a true story!
Unfortunately, I am not too much of an optimist in GOOD winning over EVIL.

Read my entry and lemme know your thoughts. IMHO, I have tried to reflect a reality of what happens in the real life

ANEESH said...

Good job Sweta..
Good story with a very much important message..

Uday Mishra said...

feels like real story we see at every junction in our city except that all those kids also belong to a gang which make then do all that for survival......

Even these beggars as well as toy and magazine sellers also give their cut to police so they can run their "business"....

I feel that kid as domestic help at Das place would have better life if he could have taken some interest in educating him and treating him as his kid ... may be that is better solution...

Sweta said...

@Nasia: Thanks :)

@vicious: Thanks :) I just wrote this fiction but real heroes are people who stand by good in their real life.

@Aashish: thank you :)

@Aneesh:thanks :)

@Uday: yes you are right, but it is only good when they really treat these kids like their own...

MuddassirShah said...

Sweta,
This isnt a true story??
It almost felt true :)
nice flow, neat work

OP said...

good one !!

Reshma said...

very realistically narrated, loved the storyline... It sends out a strong message.

DISGRUNTLED GENIUS said...

Again .. hats off. Pretty nice post Sweta.....

Alka Gurha said...

I thought it was a true story...Interesting read.

Karthick said...

good post... a nice fictional work... particularly i liked the lines 'To live a safe and good life, we have to be good first'...
actually i thought it was a true story... all of us must fight against such bad people!

Chapters From My Life said...

you have mentioned this is a fiction, but then it is not far from real life. Only we need more people who would put their hands in other people's shit

Dhanurdhar said...

I was about to appreciate your guts, when I saw that it was fiction. Anyway, interesting and wise that you didn't inform about it being fiction in the beginning.

Miss Sunshine said...

Liked the post...wish it was a true story,,,sadly we all know what is happening around us and still close our eyes, Very heart touching story,..keep it up!

Anonymous said...

Hello Shweta... Our blogs r so similar... Even my indirank is 74 and my fb page has 126 fans while urs has 122..quite equal.... nice.. Ill read up your blogs from now onwards.... Wud lyk u to visit my blog page once.. thanks... www.bloggerabhilash.info

Gautam lata said...

Good story..... nice thoughts ... but real life is much more complex and different .... like ..police also with them , not trest you well..etc. etc. blah blah..... .nice to read and do

DISGRUNTLED GENIUS said...

Commendable and intriguing indeed....

Anonymous said...

Nice fiction.......never felt a bit like fiction though. Felt like it really happened with you. Very well narrated.

Anonymous said...

very touchy, felt the pangs.
but we are helpless. because poor think of children to be assets and keep on increasing their assets.
govt. turns a blind eye because they are their main vote banks.

Mohini Puranik said...

Shweta it's really nice, initiative. And The massage is very inspiring...yes! if we have desire and try a bit for GOOD! there wil be no BAD. touched dear! Thanks for sharing on forum. voted too!

Anonymous said...

Its like you read my mind! You appear to know so much about this, like you wrote the book in it or something.
I think that you can do with a few pics to drive the message home a bit, but instead of that, this is excellent blog.

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