Little Angel: A Day in the Life of a Street Child

With a fast-paced lifestyle becoming a norm, everyone seeks the comforts of their house at the end of the day. Many of us take things for granted. The truth is that we should thank god for making us fortunate enough to live and relish the laurels of life.

The day breaks and we get into motion. Either trying to meet some chores or just pretending to, everyone seems busy. Even then everything seems so usual and complete, in a way.

Life moves at its regular pace for most of us. But, deserts do exist beyond our green pastures. It's just that they are overlooked by our money-blinded eyes.

For me it was yet another fine day when something bizarre caught my sight. A kid, maybe a couple of years old, was wandering at the traffic signal. Walking bare feet and cocooned in rags, he was mopping cars with a filthy piece of cloth.

One knows what Delhi's like in the month of June. When the mercury touches 46 ' C, we think of resting in our air-conditioned rooms, snoozing in our double cushioned beds, and sipping a cold drink or lemonade. But that tiny tot was cleaning riches' big wagons.

Sitting in my car, I could clearly see those countless dreams brewing in his hopeful eyes, that innocent smile complemented by a placid expression on his face. He literally captured my mind for a while.

As he moved closer, I saw that twinkle brighten in quest of a few coins which meant the world to him.

But then I witnessed the brutal death of his delight. Pitilessly, the well-offs hurried their windows on him. He protested gratuitously to slide down the windowpane, his little fingers got stuck in the gaps, panting to be released, but nobody bothered.

I wondered at the irony of life. A single coin, which holds no value for us, meant a meal to him. His starving eyes got stuck at a fortunate kid, almost his age, gulping cola and munching chips in his air-conditioned car. Probably, he wants a taste of the same. But then who is going to buy him all this??? That's the fate he was born with!

He died every moment!!! Caught in the vicious circle of poverty and misfortunes, his chance at a normal life was snatched away mercilessly. Adversity killed his every little desire.

It was quite evident that life was a struggle for him. Fighting every moment for his survival, he begged for money or food. Disregarded as a lifeless louse by the fortunate ones, he was born in a ruined shack and nurtured by poverty. His only sources of entertainment were the used or discarded toys.

My heart brimmed with a strange feeling of empathy for him. I could actually feel his plight.

Deeply engrossed in my own thoughts, I was startled by a blaring car horn that called my attention towards the green signal. The rat race was on again. Once more, people began to rush towards their respective ways, paying no heed to the little boy on the street.

Standing aloof under the shade of a tree, he waited for the green light to turn red again. His condition had such a profound effect on me that I was barely able to hold my feelings. As I was heading towards him, he looked at me with a big question in his eyes.....Why me?

I had no answers. I went to him and slipped a few coins in his hand. He said nothing and left with a cold blank stare.