When Silence Speaks
The heinous beast ‘Corona Virus’ gobbled crores of lives of the people all over the world for more than two years(2020 – 2021) ruthlessly .. The heartbeat of life was stopped. The teaching process was converted from offline to online mode..
After 2 years a new story began… The natural life started gradually and the offline mode of education resumed…
Everyday while going to my school, I noticed a beggar who seated himself in an unnoticed dark corner of the footpath just opposite to my school. As days passed, somehow he became an integrated part of my school life. Whenever someone passed by infront of the beggar, he would plead for money. So, whenever my parents accompanied me to my school, keeping my request they would help the beggar either by giving some money or by buying some light food like biscuits, cake etc. At the same time, sometimes I even talked to him at times and I came to know that his name was “Babulal”. He was a very thin person with dirty and torn clothes. He had salt and pepper hair with a big scar on his right eyebrow. Sometimes, I even gave my tiffin to him and he would shower all his blessings on me. During the tiffin break I used to peep out from the window to see Babulal.
One such day when I was returning home from my school dark clouds engulfed the sky and within a moment or two it started raining heavily which resulted as being drenched. The following days I was unable to go to my school as I had high fever. After 2 – 3 days when I again went to my school suddenly I could not see Babulal any more. As the time was very short, I was forced to rush to my school. That very day I came to know from my friend ‘Shreyansh’ that he was also unable to see the beggar any more.Burning with curiosity, I asked “What has happened to the beggar? Where is he?” Shreyansh replied ‘I also don’t know. But maybe, we can ask the security uncle’. Following his suggestion, we somehow finished our tiffin and hurried towards the security guard. I asked him ‘Uncle, do you know something about Babulal?’ Doubtfully he asked ‘B-a-b-u-l-a-l?’ I told him means the beggar. What has happened to him?’ With a sigh, he said ‘While you were absent, he became ill due to high fever and was taken to the nearby hospital. But unfortunately he has passed away.’ To my horror, I was deeply shaken. All the memories with him seemed to move circularly. All the memories of sharing tiffin, giving some money, giving a blanket to him in the cold, wintry evenings seemed to have surrounded me. I just thought that both us suffered from fever but in my case due to the constant care, deep warmth and affection from my parents and relatives I recovered but on the contrary due to the lack of any kind of love, affection, warmth he could not..
I needed a long time to overcome this trauma. Now also, I can easily visualise Babulal’s face. May his soul rest in peace.
