A Small Journey

After a long day enjoying with friends, i got down the bus and was going to catch the metro from the other side of the road.This had become my usual routine. I took the same road everyday, a crowded and busy road, with vehicles honking around. Tranquillity was remotely present there, and everyone passing by that road had their own life. None had even a minute of their time to take a look at a passerby. There was a small dispensary nearby and most of the times, one could see some patients.. At times, the sights were really disturbing and rest of the times, it was just virtually normal. I was so used to looking at the different kind of medical problem with people that the sight no longer made a drop of tear roll down my cheeks. The crossing was a host to some petty hawkers. Every kind of people were seen here.

To go to the other side of the road, i had to take a subway which was again used by petty traders and some beggers. Sometimes, one could spot someone lying down in one of the corner of the subway. All this was a pretty usual sight and by now, nothing fascinated me. Everyday i would come across the same vendors at both the sides of the road or in the subway. But today, as i walked down the stairs of the subway which was almost deserted, i saw an unseen face. A man, he must not have been too old and he wasnt that young either. He had no limbs and one of his arm was also missing. His body was filled with bruises, cuts almost at every remaining part of his body, and to worsen that, he had no money to get himself treated. His bloody red eyes were begging for some mercy, and his lips were softly calling for ALLAH.. He had some change lying around him, probably tossed by passerby. Looking at him, a thought came on to me, are people encouraging begging by giving this fellow some money or was he really in need of it? I couldn't really come to a conclusion because i knew so many stories about begging as a profession, but at the same time, looking at his plight, i thought that he might really be in need of some money. I wanted someone to help this man so that he could get some treatement done, after which he could get some respectable job rather than begging on the streets. It was really horrifying that somebody's misfortune is ignored to this extent. He was probably calling for ALLAH  because he wanted to be free from his present life, or probably he was repenting for something he had done. I wanted to tell him to go to the local dispensary which was run by the government so taht people like him could be treated for free. I wanted to help him in someway or the other. I was embarrased at my own incapability of helping him. I opened my purse and searched for my wallet. I found a 10 rupees note there and i tossed it at his bowl. I never like to give a penny to a begger but today, a little voice inside me told me that i should go ahead. I don't know if i did anything wrong as even if i did, i wouldn't really care as i somehow believe that i helped him. 

But as the day has come to a fall, i think to myself, was it worth it? Will that 10 rupees really help him? Could i have done something more to help him?