It is just a regular day in college. Summer heat has taken its toll. The class is going on, the lecturer is talking about something which most of the people in class have no clue about. And suddenly one person walks into the class room unannounced. His face is fully wrinkled, whiskers have grown long indicating that he has not shaved for many days and is wearing soiled clothes. He looks at the lecturer and makes some gestures. Everyone knows what is he there for. Many sitting in the class find his coming in a welcoming change as it made the lecturer stop her perfunctory.
He holds out two photocopies which so that everyone can read. It confirms that his blood relative is suffering from lymph related disorders. It becomes clear, he is expecting us to give him some money which will go a long way in helping him. He just stands there for a minute or so to see any kind of movements at our side. What he sees is a total muted response. He looks straight into everyone’s eyes. It is now when you want to be invisible. Such a stomach wrenching uneasiness sets in your body and it won’t abate until that person is off.
Suddenly you start wondering about the vanity of life and its unpredictability. There starts a debate in your mind. Its now divided, one side says,” who lets these people, what were the security doing? Such people should not be allowed to enter the campus at all”. the other side offers the counter debate saying,” its the hopelessness that has driven him into doing this. Otherwise why would he come to our college asking for alms. Even he has his loved ones whom he cares about. He is trying to do all what is in his capacity to do as much as he can to his suffering relative”.
He is so elder to me and I don’t know what to react, whether to give an understanding smile or frown. Because I really cant understand or pretend to know what that person is going through. You don’t want to be indifferent either. The former would indict me to give him money, the latter will portray me as someone incapable of compassion. I wanted to know badly what kind of facial expression I should wear. He walks through the passages in between the setting of benches. I just keep my head down and look sideways.
Thousand thoughts pound in your head just in that one moment when you look the man in the face: of self doubt, meaning of life, the mockery of god, questioning the reality, the dogma prevalent in societies and its inequalities, the scare about what future has in future why him? What if it is someone whom I knew before?
He goes around the class and leaves. The uneasiness lowers. The class enters into it usual gloom. But the incident stays in your mind.
Please let me know from your comments what would you have done.
