Finally the day is over. Late into the night as I walk across the room towards my bed, my feet betray me. My intimidated brain revolts against itself. Somehow I manage to complete my journey, but my tired eyes are too petrified to close, apprehending the apparitions I see every night; a haunting sight of a child, wailing at the top of his voice, running towards me with his hand outstretched, fast enough to chase me and cling to my leg; and then another one, one more… umpteen piercing screams ringing in my head do not let me sleep.

It has been the same for a while. The reason being the sights I encounter every day. Every morning as I tread on the road to the coaching institute around 6 am, I pass a slum located between two blocks of the main market; a big plot of land, where the laborers have started dwelling to build another block. What a breathtaking view! The odor of the fumes rising from the filth and turd lying all around the place, literally, take one’s breath out. And in the midst of the above, live scores of unprivileged children afflicted with malnutrition, some sleeping in the middle of the road, others on the pavement, usually without the privilege of having their body covered, except for a piece of rag which is merely capable of draping either the upper part of their body or the lower. What a way to start your day!

And sometimes when I visit the temple, I find a number of peddlers, mostly children, waiting outside the gate to collect all the ambrosia that people offer them. As soon as one comes out, after offering his prayers, they run to him with outstretched hands, chanting “Uncle mujhe do… uncle mujhe… uncle…” And if by chance, someone is able to fetch a handful of Prasad twice, that’s the moment of elation, satisfaction and pride. It’s a great relief to make someone happy, albeit momentarily, especially these unlucky children. At times I run out of whatever I have, and then I see those wide, expecting eyes, dejected at last. And probably it’s their outstretched hands, which expect something from me, that haunt me in my sleep…

I wish a day will come when I would be able to live up to their dreams, and probably that would be the day when I will have a sound sleep having those little outstretched hands reneged, so that they would not need to be outstretched ever again…