We were shopping in the Karol Baug market in Delhi, and stopped to have momos which are my wife’s favorite. Suddenly a boy came up to me and asked me to get my shoe polished. “Kara lo na saab”, (Please get it polished, Sir) he kept on insisting for a shoe-polish. “Only Rs 5”, he won’t leave me. We didn’t have time and the place was too crowded, so I couldn’t help. I took out some coins from my pocket and gave those to him, saying, “Rakh lo” (Keep it). He started to have my shoe, but I interrupted saying I didn’t want to get my shoes polished but he could keep the money. He thanked me gratefully and left.
After some time, I heard a familiar voice. It was him, the shoeshine boy. “Madam, get your shoes polished”, he was trying to convince another customer. “Achcha, fir 2 rupaye de dijiye na” (Ok, then please help me with 2 rupees…) I was struck!
Just because I gave him some rupees without any work, he found the trick to earn money in begging! I am sure my gesture made him see it that way, because he had not ‘readily’ accepted my coins.
I guess that is what a lot of charity works do – they make beggars out of the poor.
- Rahul
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