An Incident!

I was waiting for my wife at the railway station. The rain had ceased to pour just some time before. And a cold pleasant breeze was flowing. I was standing there for a couple of minutes before some one from behind touched me. 

“Excuse me Bhai!!” 

I turned around, almost expecting some one I knew. But as I turned around I saw an old man. His cheeks were almost inside his jaw, giving the illusion that his cheek bones were literally coming out. His face had a haggard look to it. And he hadn’t shaved for quite some time. I looked at him directly in to his eyes. It was dry. The man’s clothes were dirty.  

“Excuse me Bhai!” He said again, “I am sorry to disturb you. I am a worker, you know, I do painting and build the interior of the house. I normally sit at this station hoping for work. You see, for the past 3 days, I have had no work. I have no money. I haven’t eaten for 3 days now. Can you please give me some thing to eat? Maybe a bread or roti will do.”

I looked at him properly again. And some how, mechanically I said no. I do not have money. I lied. He looked at me and said incredously, “You don’t have even 2 rupees with you?”

I shook my head and started walking away from him. I didn’t look back. Shortly after that I met up with my wife and then we started walking towards some general stores. My mind was in turmoil. I was not sure that If I did the right thing. The old man had asked me for food and not money. And I had denied it. Beggars normally ask for money, and they never tell made up stories. Maybe this is some new style, where they can play on the emotional side of the person and get some thing out of them. I tried to pacify my mind. But some how I kept thinking and re – thinking about it. 

Shortly afterwards we reached the store. I stood outside while my wife went in the buy some item for the house. Again this time, a person touched me from behind. I turned back and saw it was the same old man. He was saying the same thing again to me. It seemed he did not recognize me. But I recognized him immediately. This time around, I immediately went in the stores and bought bread and gave it to him.

He was eager to have it. As soon he had it in his hands, he started walking ahead without thanking me. Not that I was expecting anything from him. But I keenly watched from behind as to what he would do with it. He went ahead a few steps and tore the plastic of the bread and took 3 slices and put them in his mouth. I was taken aback. He was hungry. And he didn’t wait for anything. He had put the dry bread directly in his mouth. I guess when you are hungry, it doesn’t matter what the food is. And after chewing for sometime he started walking away from me.  

This incident put a smile on my face. I guess I made a serious error in judging him the first time around. But I am glad that I got a second chance to correct my mistake and bring peace to my mind.