I looked at my watch as I alighted
from the auto rickshaw and realized that I had just about twenty minutes left
before the banks closed down for the day. As everyone knows, the banks work only for ‘half-day’
on Saturdays and so, close all transactions by 11:00 a.m. and today, of all the
days, I was short of money and wanted urgently to draw some cash before the bank
pulled its shutters down. So, I was almost sprinting along the footpath wending
my way through Virar’s Weekly Bazaar crowds, when suddenly I bumped into this grand
old man, who was standing there at the curb looking like a forlorn, lost kid. I
had never seen him before in all my life. With his frail, outstretched hands he
seemed to be desperately trying to catch attention of some passer-by. He was
probably in his early eighties and perhaps, all he was asking for was some help
in crossing the road and hence looking for a Good Samaritan like me to escort
him through the busy traffic. Dressed in an old, tattered pair of dark blue
jeans with a light blue shirt, tucked-in haphazardly, a ruffled scarf around
the neck and a rumpled pea cap on the head he looked every inch like a rugged,
old seaman, but it was the blank look in his deep, blue eyes that betrayed the inner
sadness in his heart. When I was just a few feet from him, I could make out
what he was muttering in his soft, deep voice: “Can someone help me, please?
God will bless you if you help this poor, old man.” When I was very near him, I
stopped in my tracks and asked him how I could help him. However, before he
could reply, thinking that all he wanted was to safely cross the street, I took
his right hand in mine and started to lead him by his arm; his palm was soft to
the touch like silk, quite warm and affectionate. No sooner than I had offered
my hand, he had gripped it like a small, insecure child afraid that his dad may
just go away leaving him alone, bereft of his usual, protective cover. The two senior citizens then stepped out in glory, literally, hand-in-hand.
The old man’s face was suddenly
lit up brightly. “Oh, thank you so much, son and God Bless you! You see, I just want to go to Vithal Mandir on
the other side of the road. I go there regularly every morning, you know, to
listen to Vazebuva’s kirtan, they say it absolves you from all sins you
committed in life in your younger days; but, as for me it’s a good old-age pastime,
you see? ” he said winking with a mischievous smile on his wrinkled face. “Can you guess my age? I’ve crossed seventy five already and I can
hardly see because of this wretched cataract in my eyes. In my father’s time, a
cataract operation would cost no more than two thousand rupees, but, My God,
everything is so expensive these days; now, it costs a fortune --- thirty thousand
rupees for each eye! Which fellow like me will ever afford it? ”
I was just a silly clerk in the
post office, but, I have managed to give the best of education to my two sons.
They’re now both well settled in the U.S. --- one is a computer engineer
working for Microsoft and the other teaching Applied Physics or something like
that in M.I.T. Both are married and have children, who think Virar is a very dirty,
old, shanty place. Well, can’t blame them. But, they’re all happy and
that’s what matters. What more can you ask for? …………. It’s almost two years now
since my wife went “off”. Poor girl, all through her life she suffered trying
to make the two ends meet. But, she was always in a hurry, way ahead of
others and I was exact opposite: always slow and unsteady! She’s gone now and I’m
still here, fending for myself! Ha, ha, ha!! ” Then, for one full minute he was
silent and I could see a lonely tear welling up in his deep, sunken eyes.
“Oh, where are we now, near Eskay’s? Ah, well, there’s a small wayside tea-shop here
somewhere; I think it’s called Shankar Vilas Café. Have you ever gone in there
and tried their Elaichi Chai. No? Then, it’s time you did. I tell you, if
you try it once, you will never be the same man again. It is so good and
stimulating -- simply out of this world! I can promise you that, like me, you’ll
also come back again every day! Just try one cup and see for yourself, No? ”. So saying, he stopped at the tea stall and before
I could even ask to be excused as it was really getting late, he had placed an order
for two “cuttings” (or half-full cups, in local lingo) of their special,
‘Elaichi’ tea. I glanced at my watch through
the corner of my eyes and found to my horror that there were just seven minutes left for the bank to close. .
I think you should also try their
‘Jumbo Vadapao’ once. It’s so delicious and filling. I am going to order
one for myself. How about you? Just have one. No? Okay. Okay, as you please! You
seem to be in particular hurry today. What’s the matter, a date with a girl
friend or what? Hey, don’t you worry; I am
not coming in your way ---- One Jumbo Vadapao, please.” I was too
worried about the bank closing time to bother about the old man’s silly
chatter. I asked for the bill and as I took out my wallet to pay, he said “Oh,
you have paid already! I would have paid, no? Anyway, never mind, there’s
always a next time. All the same, thank you very much, son and God bless you! ”.
After making the payment, I looked
around for the old man, but, he was nowhere to be seen in the vicinity. “Oh,
where did that old man go all of a sudden?” I asked no one in particular “He was
saying he wanted to go to Vithal Mandir. It is still some distance from here
and how will go there? He was saying he is visually impaired because of his cataract.”
“Don’t worry, Uncle. He will
manage to find his own way. He always does.” said the tea vendor
knowingly and smiled benignly!
