The Samosa Seller

 

In my hometown, I had gone to a neighbouring sweets shop after a long time. I found that while other sweets were handed over to the customers inside the shop, for samosas we were asked to take from the outside stall. When I went to the stall, I saw that there was a small boy of about 10 years old packing and handing over samosas. When I visited the shop the next time, it was the same arrangement. But this time I noticed that the boy was not only packing and handing over samosas, but also frying it in a big iron kadhai.

Since samosas are typically consumed as evening snack, and by evening the weather is already tolerable, it was fine that day. But when I went there for third time, it was day time and hence sunny. Even during the daytime, the same boy was making samosas, frying it in kadhai, packing and giving away to the customers who paid for the same inside the shop. I was shocked to observe that there was no real roof above stall since the stall was made outside the shop. The boy was standing in partial shade and partial sunlight and making samosas whole day. This time, the boy was appearing weak, perhaps he was not keeping well at that time. His hand was shaking while picking up hot, fresh out-of-pan samosas.

I felt really bad this time seeing this child-labour happening in front of me. When I went home, I told my mother about all this. She gave an instant solution by asking never to buy anything from that shop again in future. After doing a little ponding if that will benefit or harm the kid, since such situations are complex in real life, I concluded that it was a better idea not to buy from that shop. I did not want to inform the government authorities because child labour cases are rampant all across our hometown and if I complained about that shop, the boy may just get employment somewhere else.

I can remember boys of similar age working at kirana shops, welding shops, painting shops, etc. Even in the 21^st century and amidst so many claims of good governance, this child labour is happening rampantly. And in most of the cases I can see only boys and not girls working in such shops. When people talk about “male privilege” etc on social media, they forget to check real life on the ground. It also reminds me that many people like us take childhood for granted, believing it is always beautiful for all of us, without being aware of many such kids who skip whole childhood for a few rupees. Thanks to human greed which has no limits.  

After that incident, I have been to the sweets shop area and purposely avoided that shop once. I plan to continue doing the same in future. It may not improve the overall situation in the city, but at least I can feel a bit better that I am not part of it.

- Rahul

[Reflections] Innocence Can Move Mountains

Happened to watch a movie ‘Flipped’ on TV which is about teenage love or crushes. In the last scene, after having disappointed the girl a lot and since long, the boy decides to plant a tree in her garden, a kind of tree which she loved and one such was cut down in the neighborhood. It was truly a lovely gesture and heart touching. Apart from other things, what is clearly seen in this case is ‘innocence’ of both the kids.

I remembered my own childhood when I planted plants and trees; though in our own garden and not in some girl’s! I remembered how I decorated our home; though not to impress anyone else but to feel good myself. That pure innocence with which we built miniature clay houses, forest, pond – a whole world – with our own little hands! How we tried to make ourselves as ‘ideal’ human beings, not doing anything wrong and doing all things right. Oh, that innocence I doubt if I possess anymore!

That is how life is – the same person keeps evolving. I remember in childhood I had thought over how I would look like or what I would do when I grow old. I imagined myself till school days; even stretched my imagination to imagine how I would be when I join the college – perhaps taking inspirations from some others older guys I came across – but I had not been able to imagine how I would be after I take up a job or get married. My little world in my head could not stretch to imagine myself into things beyond a limit. I still remember that day when I concluded this. I asked myself if I agreed that I couldn’t imagine myself beyond that stage – and answered that I could not indeed. And see, here I am and I can look back into those days of childhood. While looking into future, we can’t go beyond a limit; but while looking into the past we can go as we please. But that limitation in my head – which made me say that I did not know beyond that limit – had to do something with innocence.

It occurred to me some time back that being all wise and all was not really an asset. When you know that something would not work; would you give your 100% to it? You won’t even try properly! May be if you did not know that it would not work you could have tried better and may be it could have turned out well, just for a change! So knowing too well has its negative side too!

One problem with life is that we can’t go back to some past stage of evolution. I remember what someone said once – if I tell you a fact, I can’t again tell you something which could negate the first learning you made. It is an irreversible process. So where does that leave us?

Having lost innocence once, we can’t go back to be innocent again. And that is some real precious loss I feel bad about…

- Rahul 

Lesson from Kids Yoga

When we were kids and did too much masti, sometimes mother would pull us (me and elder sis) up; mount us on the dining table (so that we could not escape); and give us a challenge (which was another trap) - sit still, close your eyes and for 10 minutes think only about Lord Ram, Sita ji and Hanuman ji with no other thought in mind... We tried but never succeeded - we were surprised why it did not work out - why we always had some other thought cropping up our mind - why we did not have that self control! We would ask mother why we could not do it - but mother would only smile and say two words - "try again". I think the idea was that even if we did not succeed but if kept trying, at least during that time we should be calm and rested...

I think that is a key to many things - keep trying; even if you don't succeed fully, at least during the time you are trying you are much better than otherwise!

When I Sold Laddus

Our school used to celebrate ‘fun fair’ on every Republic Day. We used to sell its tickets in the neighborhood and then ran stalls selling sweets and games. One year our Principal also gave me the opportunity to sell. Perhaps my qualification was my personality which suited it most; so he declared “Rahul will sell laddoos”! I got a tray of laddoos to keep company for the whole day while my friends enjoyed being vagabonds as usual. It did not help either that the Bundi Laddoos were of immensely tempting color and aroma and I always had a sweet tooth. Though I found it surprising that not many came to buy so lovely laddoos which cost Re 1 each. By evening, since the sales were low, I had to eat some of those and keep the money in my collection box out of my own pocket money. With regretful heart, I returned the remaining laddoos in the tray and explained the accounting of sales to the Principal. I think it is always better to be customers than salesmen; especially if the items of sale are so delicious…

(Childhood memories...)