Pauper of money-chopper..??

The good deeds that you do sometimes prove fastidious and incredulous right at that moment…!!

It was last Sunday when I and my friends were roaming around MG Road, the hottest place to throng during weekends in Gurgaon. As we were crossing over to the other side of the road towards another mall, we were greeted with the gesticulations and cacophonic moans of a ragged street beggar who was trying her best to attract the pedestrians who would show pity on her and reward her with few pennies.

One of my friends, who’s always been a messiah to such community quickly took out some coins and discharged his philanthropic duty with a satisfactory, though, untraceable, grin on his face.

Fifteen minutes after, while we were making our way back to the other side of the road, what I noticed startled me for a moment. And after the feeling sank in, I felt somewhat peaceful and sinless at heart that I have never believed in entertaining the beggars and have mutedly cursed them. Coming back to what I witnessed, the same beggar, to whom my dear pal had whole-heartedly lent some precious bucks so that she could satiate her hunger, was taking puffs of bheedi while craning out her other hand at road-crossers unashamedly!! Was smoking more important than a piece of bread, was it more life-saving than few specks of grams, was it dearer to her than hunger-stricken and screaming kids back in her juggi (slum-houses)? Well, she might not have a bright IQ to answer these simple questions or may be the smoke has blocked her conscience and forget about her own goodwill, let alone that of her family; but what if the same could be asked to our ‘responsible’ and ‘intellect’ crossers-by who practice this activity quite generously without knowing what actually might be bought with the money, or even worse turning a blind eye when instances like the one that I mentioned above occur in front of them. If not equal, they are fractionally responsible for the wrongdoings which these paupers constantly indulge in.

I may sound raucous and irrational while advocating against the plight of one of the most helpless class of the society, but I couldn’t help bearing the fact that so much of hard earned money is being spent desultorily and incinerated into smoke, into ashes. What I want is for the folks to spend a moment and think about how such things can be prevented and if at all, one needs to help the needy, how he or she can contribute towards the same in a more organized manner and still achieve the same satisfaction, still feel peace at heart and move on while maintaining a satisfactory, though, untraceable, grin on his/her face.