I thought it was imperative to promulgate something like this even though I never wanted to share it: (Actions speak louder than words and some of them have to be quietly done)
As soon as 2016 started I made a wish for the guy I loved, I don’t exactly remember the date but it was somewhere around his Birthday! I was about to make a kind gesture & I didn’t want to bribe God but I said, “ I know kindness is rewarding enough but if this action makes you happy & you feel like making another good gesture in return to help us create a chain of positive events and reactions, then please bless ***** (his name) with Loads of Success, Immense Love & Sheer Happiness!” After that he was blessed with good opportunities & big banner projects! Neither am I taking any credit for it nor am I saying it was God who did it, all I am saying is, He might’ve helped him... but lets not forget the small little Chucky Doll who was in some or the other way inadvertently involved.
So I took a big Jar of Nutella and went to Carter Road, it was like my New Year résolution/goal...
I would always see small, guileless urchins roaming the streets there, selling colouring books & wistfully staring at all the food stalls, I’m in tears as I’m penning it down... anyway, I knew Nutella makes people happy so I thought why not give them a Surprise! I couldn’t finish giving the other Nutella jars after I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia which immediately confined me to the bed.
I went to Carter Road, all armed with that chocolate elixir but unfortunately the streets were almost empty, God knows where those kids were when I was looking for them!! I was feeling really dejected but then a small little toddler walked up to me, she wasn’t even begging probably because she was clueless about what she was supposed to do... She just came forward hoping I’ll understand she needed to collect money! I was ecstatic!!! They are very cynical and distrustful especially if you are nice to them maybe because they are not used to kindness. I had a “so called friend” who would shun them whenever they would come around to sell their books. Not all of them would ask for “our” food or money, they’d just sit on the ledges or pavements, smile at you and look elsewhere to make sure you don’t feel uncomfortable while eating. I don’t know about each and every kid out there but I’m talking about my own personal experience... not everyone was “nagging” us in her language, some were trying to be as polite and restrained as possible and seeing that level of maturity at such an early age was heart wrenching!
Frankly, I just feel you are like an elder sibling to them and they have every right to ask you to buy them something :/ We are their only hope at that point. I would never want them to be pessimistic or hopeless... the world needs some faith in humanity, they have every right to hope, dream and be happy.
Not trying to deprecate about her but it was appalling to see how she would even shun kids on traffic signals who would be very excited to see me, my bro and her, as in 18-20 year old youngsters busy on their phones... (btw she was elder to us) clicking selfies in the car, having a seemingly “normal” life, they would again not beg, they’d be more interested and invested in our smart phones!! They’d stand by the “locked” windows (she was more than safe) to see what we were doing... then smile, try to talk in a cute & friendly manner; it’s like they needed a break & some recreation from their unfortunate, underprivileged, insecure lives. These kids are robbed off their childhood... they are haplessly abandoned and expected to fend for themselves, as a result most of them are always tired, weak, sick & exhausted. They have no place to even recuperate or sit... and it’s just very cruel to put them through additional & perpetual dismissals and apathy. She would make faces at them and detest them, we were shocked by her behaviour, that is probably why I stopped hanging out with her.
Anyway when a cute small little urchin walked up to me... I handed over the Nutella to her & also explained her how she was supposed to open and eat it. She was kinda reluctant and skeptical at first, like I said they have cynicism ingrained in them from an early age due to constant callousness and disdain. She took it but I wasn’t sure if she fathomed me. Then I thought I’ll hide somewhere and give her some space, see what she does next. She opened jar, tasted the Nutella, then closed it, I realised maybe she didn’t want to finish it & perhaps like every other kid, she too was trying to save it “for later” but what she did next was sweeter than Nutella itself! So this was the exact scenario... she opened it properly, then she had a little, after that she closed the lid and to my surprise she started hugging the jar!! That was the cutest thing I’d ever seen, it was like a typical TV commercial! She was very little like I said, just a toddler... She knew how to express herself though, she did a little twirl while hugging it and that is when people started to take notice of the Nutella in her hand.
I think we should all give it a try once the pandemic is over! It’s not that hard to make people happy especially children and the joy it brings them is priceless.
There was one more kid at Fort, she asked asked me to convince my mom to buy her a sandwich from there, I obviously couldn’t say no, she was constantly telling me, “Didi bolo na, bolo na...” my mom didn’t buy her the toasted one with cheese which was quite disappointing and when I asked why can’t we give her that... our taxi driver stepped in with his Uttam Vichaar and said “Usko woh waala Nahi ha... they don’t need all that!” I’m precisely sharing the positive as well as negative response I received that day to make people realise why sometimes it’s important to “go out of the way” to make people happy and why it’s imperative to break the barriers of inequality and prejudice which are staunchly clenched in the grips of indifference & conceitedness. We all need more empathy, compassion and humanity. Why not do the unexpected? In fact isn’t it supposed to be like that in the first place? She excitedly went to the Sandwich stall with the money and she was anxiously waiting for her turn but as soon as she heard the car engine... she immediately turned around to say “Thankyou” with a face full of gratitude! She realised we were leaving. I’m sure no one had to teach her the ‘3 magic words’ or manners, it was just a natural response but what was appreciative was the fact that she remembered to thank me!
I wasn’t expecting it but she did the unexpected, didn’t she?
Xoxo
Zara Sauleh
