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Giving Away

by Rashmi
(Pune, India)

In this arena of technology and space wars, humans have lost the touch of humanity. Humanity is the very touch that brings life to the battered soul and is what makes humans stand tall among the creations of God. God had blessed us by giving us a unique emotional side. But alas, we do not use it to benefit of the less fortunate. We waste our precious emotions over pursuing personal interests. War and peace are the two sides of coin that has balanced the civilization since ages. History has taught us to be cautious in dealing with raw emotions and not becoming greedy with futile ambitions. Our younger ones should be taught to be more humane. One such story that dwells upon humanity is the story of Shomu. Shomu who lived in a dilapidated and shattered dwelling in the slums of Dharavi is the hero of the story.

His life was in a bad shape as he was living a life of a beggar. He never had enough food to eat and his clothes were never new. He did not know what talking meant, for he spoke very little and whatever he spoke was not at all intelligible to others. His only language was that of a longing desire to get those things that others possessed. Time passed by and Shomu began to grow. He would be in shabby mental state and people took pity at him. When they donated something to him, Shomu felt utter shame in accepting those things . But he had no choice. He had to take those things from others because he led weathered life. Food had to get into his belly and he had to survive in this mean world. He had to live the life which God had entrusted upon him. Since he had to go on living by begging and so he prayed to God that the Almighty must take his life away. He detested the life he lived and he sometimes had a secret wish that even if, his life be exchanged with someone then too, his life should not be given to anyone for, he considered his life to be the worst.

One day among such despondent thoughts he devised of a plan to rob a house. He had this flash of light after seeing news on television and he thought that his life would improve from there onward. So with lots of inward thinking he darted a house that would be eventually robbed by him. He simply tried to gather those things from neighborhood which he needed for robbery. He mentally revised whatever he had done for the plan. He even chose the house which he had to rob. He talked to his best friend and he agreed to go with the plan. But in his plan there was a missing point. He did not know how to operate lock and key so he asked his friend to help him out. His friend readily agreed upon and then one fine day they decided to fructify the robbery plan. As they were doing the rounds of the houses that were built in a row that night, they suddenly hit upon house from where a strange noise was coming. They decided to stop at the house and look at the modulus operandi. So they stopped and they began to hear the noise of the crying little girl. She was crying and someone was mercilessly thrashing the girl. They peeped inside the whole. They saw a scene that was going to change their lives forever. Both the parents were thrashing the girl and the girl was lying on the floor. Blood was oozing out from her arms and legs. The parents were muttering that the girl could not bring enough money that night. Upon probing further they gathered that girl was the step child and the parents would send her to railway station to beg for money.

Shomu was full of pity for that girl. He instantly deduced that something should be done. He told his friend that he would rob the house and give the money to the little girl and send her to the little school or to a hostel. His friend retorted at first and began to step back but with some persuasion from the Shomu’s side he agreed. Ultimately Shomu with that key and little intelligence that God had given him, robbed the house and took the money. Next morning he approached the girl and gave the money to her. The girl was very thankful to him. She knew that it was a god send opportunity so she did not refuse. Although she gave some money to Shomu and his friend.

But unfortunately Shomu was caught by the police. He was taken to police station and interrogated. The police listened to the entire story. They were moved by Shoumu’s kindness. They talked to the owner of the house. They were relieved and related well to Shomu’s tale. The girl returned the money to the owner but the owner seeing the plight of the girl gave some money to her. Shomu and his friend were released. Shoumu could not sleep that night. He never complained to God again for he had seen more battered soul than his, in this mean world.

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Nov 11, 2012
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good
by: nuggehallipankaja

Rashmi,
It is a moving tale,more so if it is true! True or not, it has the stamp of reality, bringing tears to the eyes of any reader. And the narration is good-touching!
Give us more of such life-stories.

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