The lights turned red. He brought the car to neutral and halted in front of a snaking line of cars.
“Oh man, these lights take so long… Darsh and Pratyush would be waiting” thought Aravind.
He was driving his father’s ancient car that he loved dearly and at the same time wanted to exchange for a brand new one. So old, infact, that it had no power windows.
He spotted two urchins begging two cars away. A dirty cloth in hand, they were cleaning the windows of each car – or at least making an attempt – and then asking for alms.
Aravind hastily started pulling the windows up, one of the children spotted him struggling and dashed towards the ancient red car.
“Dammit, dammit dammit… don’t do this kid…” he pleaded silently in his mind…
Too late.
The kid reached the window just in time and started tapping on it. Aravind looked straight ahead – stoically. He had to steel himself.
“These kids are a part of an organized unit – they beg and give the money to their bosses…” Aravind told himself. He was psyching himself.
“But, look into his eyes…” a small voice said.
“SHUT THE FUCK UP!!” his mind screamed and he turned the FM volume up to ear splitting.
“Look…”
“They are an organized trained unit!!”
“They are underpriviledged children, innocent like any other child…”
“Please turn Green…”
“They are exploited…”
Tap, tap, tap…
He couldn’t take it any longer. He fished out his wallet – yanked a ten rupee note out viciously, opened the window a crack and handed it to the child.
That was the first time he looked at the child. He looked no older than ten. Dirty hair and grubby hands that reached up to take the note from his…
…and then he looked into his eyes…
Innocent, pure but steady. They looked mature, yet childlike.
A cold chill ran through Aravind as the child took the note and was gone. It was as if his eyes had bored a hole through Aravinds skull…
He shrugged it off as the crazy thinking going on in the background thankfully subsided. The lights turned green.
“Bought eternal peace for ten rupees…have you” his head sneered.
“Ten Rupees, ten goddamn rupees…”
Aravind calmly turned the key in the ignition as the cars behind him tooted.
“Ok, please don’t depress me; I am meeting my friends…”
The night wore on as Aravind, Pratyush and Darsh partied. Drank, made light of life and spent money.
The bill was finally brought. Aravind, in high spirits, announced “I am going to pay…!”
He fished out his credit card and the rest of it he couldn’t really remember.
The next day he awoke bright and fresh with no real recollection of the happenings of the previous night. He searched for his cellphone and dimly recollected leaving it with Pratyush.
“Aughh, dammit gotta drive…”
As he freshened up and go into his car, a box of chocolates carelessly thrown in the back caught his attention.
“What’s this…?” he thought incredulously. Reaching into the back, it was a box of chocolate bars. It was ripped open and a few were missing…
“I don’t remember eating any chocolates…” he thought as he turned the key and drove out into the morning traffic.
“Strange…”
The traffic lights turned red again…
“Ahh, dammit…” as Aravind struggled with the window, it wasn’t cooperating.
“Chocolate wale bhaiyya! Chocolate wale bhaiyya…!” he heard a few squeals of delight as a swarm of kids gathered near his car. There were about six of them grinning from ear to ear, standing silently there and smiling up at him…
…And his memory hit him like a brick. As if on autopilot he reached into the torn box, grabbed a bunch of the bars, and handed it to them
The unprecedented joy on each of their faces brought a wonderful smile and his eyes turned moist as he watched that one particular kid dance with the chocolate bar in his hands.
“The drunk me is far better than the sober me…” he thought wistfully.
The lights turned green and he drove off, but, this time peacefully.
