Train journey in Mumbai is quite interesting. There are many different emotions it lets you experience. My day today started with a man slipping off trying to get into the running train and just missing death. For a moment I thanked god for not letting the man die and the fellow commuters for pulling him to safety.
Then there was this girl, who ideally had to be in school, selling beautiful bangles instead.She held her ware in front of women who were in tearing hurry to get off at the next station,The women bought those bangles from her after hurried bargaining and ensuring that the girl agreed to sell the bangles at Rs 50 instead of hundred just because it was her first "boni". The girl sulked and moved on with her life, refusing the next woman to sell the same at fifty and making a sale at Rs 70 while the women went out patting their backs on their excellent bargaining skills.
As I was getting back home after work today, I was welcomed by a group of women from a village with their children, I assume with dreams of finding some job here. The children were fighting for water with just 2 small pepsi bottles of water with them and about 8 tiny mouths and throats wanting to quench their thirst . Realising that the water was not enough they resorted to asking each one of us for water. There was success and then defeat. "why can't you fill water at the railway station?" came the first taunt. The kid embarrassed explained that the water they carried got over and the little kids couldn't understand that there wasn't anymore water and they couldn't afford getting down and filling water. I felt a churn, we seem to have become so insensitive these days that we refuse to share water with thirsty little children.
In just 2 hours of travel, I experienced relief, sadness, optimism, contempt hmmm.... I love and hate this city at the same time.
Then there was this girl, who ideally had to be in school, selling beautiful bangles instead.She held her ware in front of women who were in tearing hurry to get off at the next station,The women bought those bangles from her after hurried bargaining and ensuring that the girl agreed to sell the bangles at Rs 50 instead of hundred just because it was her first "boni". The girl sulked and moved on with her life, refusing the next woman to sell the same at fifty and making a sale at Rs 70 while the women went out patting their backs on their excellent bargaining skills.
As I was getting back home after work today, I was welcomed by a group of women from a village with their children, I assume with dreams of finding some job here. The children were fighting for water with just 2 small pepsi bottles of water with them and about 8 tiny mouths and throats wanting to quench their thirst . Realising that the water was not enough they resorted to asking each one of us for water. There was success and then defeat. "why can't you fill water at the railway station?" came the first taunt. The kid embarrassed explained that the water they carried got over and the little kids couldn't understand that there wasn't anymore water and they couldn't afford getting down and filling water. I felt a churn, we seem to have become so insensitive these days that we refuse to share water with thirsty little children.
In just 2 hours of travel, I experienced relief, sadness, optimism, contempt hmmm.... I love and hate this city at the same time.
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