"Happy Diwali shopping"
It is around 8:30 PM just a day after diwali, the busiest place in Chennai called pondy bazzar is so calm and with no crowd. Suku, Rahul and krish had just completed the shopping and stepped in to the Saravana bhavan hotel. They started tasting Rava Dosa, Sambhar vada , Mini idlis .. all south Indian Stuffs.Suku said wow !! “Awesome sambhar daa , I loved it” I am up to the neck !!
They just stepped out of the hotel and the empty road prompted them to go for a little walk..Suku Said “hey I need some Tamil books to read” Jaku & Krish nodded since there tummies are full, though they feared, it is going to rain due to Jal jill Cyclone at Chennai.
Suku bought some Chiclets in petty shop just outside the hotel, when he is about keep his wallet back in to the pant pocket. A stable unclean young woman in ragged clothes crossed both Rahul and Krish and approached suku and said Ayya..(means sir) I haven’t ate anything from the morning ,I am feeling hungry , please give me some money..Suku thought for a moment and said ok get some food I will pay for that..she said ,Ayya they won’t allow me inside this hotel. Suku quipped J “ are u expecting food from saravana bhavan ? and gave 20 Rs as there is no fast food counters in and around petty shop..
Suku told his friends, I know she is going to drink liquor with this money but still what to do? Immediately they were circled by another two beggars, in fact beggars are excited upto the air like a “G6 J” after watching suku’s response to the previous woman. Suku told Rahul, hey give something to that old lady .I do not have change. Rahul opened his purse and took 2RS coin to offer..
The old lady started shouting at rahul..he was shocked!!
Generally rahul used to give some coins to the beggars, it is a habit he learned from his MOM , Though he doesn’t like to encourage beggars. His mom advised him to put some coins to the beggars from the childhood..Once he was asked at the temple, Mom why you are making me to do this? What we are going to gain from this.. She replied back, Son what we are going to lose? by giving this change to the beggars and he has developed some soft corner for the beggars especially those who are physically challenged.
Once he was not successful in the campus interview, lost his first love, when unable to meet his parents expectations and so called 4years friends left to US without even informing him..he felt deeply depressed..and thought why should I exist, when I am not useful to any one ? then he realized the symbiotic relationship what he has developed with the physically challenged beggar in the railway station platform over the period of four years..where he used to commute to college.
Up to that moment he thought, the beggar exists because of him.Now he feels that, he also wants to exist because of that beggar. Something flashed in his super screen..”Tomorrow he might expect me” He was addicted to the feeling, when someone getting brighten or lighten up by looking at his face..He used to look straight in to his eyes and give coins from the purse and leave that place with the gentle smile.it has helped him to shift the mood in a positive way and move forward..
But today he was wrecked and taken aback.Rahul never got such response earlier for 1 or 2 RS coins from the beggars and the old lady started cursing all the three.. I don’t want 2 RS ..u have it with you..u fellows are .. They don’t want to stay over there and started moving from that place without even giving 1rupee coin to other beggar who was there..
After a short pause, Krish said,see that’s why I never give money to beggars, even if I want to help I would give that money to some charity or social organizations. There discussions went on ups and down in the society,Bill gates,warren buffet, charity , sujatha’s story about own mistakes and so on…. Sky started drizzling slightly on the empty path way of the pondy bazaar.. by chance suku met his ex –colleagues after long time and started chatting with them as usual like a bottoms-Up bottle of enthusiasm J
Rahul and Krish had taken another two steps and waited for suku to join.
In the continuation, Krish started explaining to Rahul about the work culture in Imacro Tech, where he works..it went on to a peer pressure, happiness, appraisal etc..Krish explained how one needs to find his own path, own track to success.. Otherwise, how one will miss the happiness in the journey of success.. Rahul just nodded for everything.After a moment of silence, Rahul just cleared his throat and asked..Krish.. do u think 2Rs is little less?
No daa.. Krish replied with very assertive tone..
See Rahul , the bad thing is, The beggar rejected the money but the good thing is
The Beggar succumbed to the Peer pressure, Not you..It is not You..
Buddy just keep it up..Be yourself. “A strong mind with light heart”
At the right time, Suku just joined back with a cigarette in his left hand..”sorry folks last two puff’s”
Krish starred and shouted, “What’s wrong with you man?” You said, you just quit this about a week ago….Suku faced Rahul and said, Actually I don’t want to smoke da but we met after long time and How can I say No..you see it is drizzling also..he confessed with low tone at Rahul.
I shouldn’t have learned this habit due to friend’s pressure, now I am struggling to come out of that and made him a passive smoker (a person who involuntarily inhales tobaccos smoke exhaust particles).
But don’t do it in the room..even if it is going to rain now.. It is against our room ethics and policy dated 20th October..isshhhhhh..Now rahul inhaled the steam of anger from the other side..through ears!!
He quickly interrupted before it turns in to an argument, let us move fast daa.. , yaa it is going to rain now for sure.. and they started Jogging towards Suku’s new flamingo red fiat Linea..
“Front seat for me “ J !! krish pushed Rahul to grab the steering..
All three reached home at 11 PM and before going to bed Rahul updated the room To do list board header with the following krish words..
“Be Yourself, A Strong Mind with Light Heart”
Jay
