Images on Road..

Everyday the ride from my house to office is an experience. Sometimes it’s really boring and sometimes it’s quite interesting but anyhow I enjoy the ride. They are like the episodes of daily 'Mega' serials that we are bombarded with in the TV cannels. Although the route is the same and the visuals are nothing much different or new from the previous days, the thoughts and some images always stays on. Daily I see many children getting ready for schools in their uniforms and waiting for the school bus or the pickup van. I was indulged in thoughts about my school days and the past happenings and I was wondering how we humans lose the innocence so easily after childhood.

At the traffic signal at Cubbon Road, I found this little girl and her younger brother trying their level best to present their ‘gymnastic histrionics’, to the ones who were halted at the signal. The girl may be about 8-9 years old and the boy was about 4. They tried whatever they could do. The boy even danced to some tune in his mind and fell down skidding on the dusty surface and in between he was moving his whole body thru a small circular ring . Their mother sat below an old tree at the road side making some sounds with small 'dholak' and two wooden roads, giving the background 'beats'. The girl, after doing some acts for 1-2 minutes, went towards the vehicles hoping to get some money. The girl came near me with her hands stretched and a emotionless face, she was sweating. I could not make out whether she was happy or sad. She might be happy because she is with her mother and brother and performing such acts to make a living for her family or she is sad on seeing other kids who are over cared by their parents. The traffic started moving later after a minute. I looked back. She was returning empty handed to her mother and getting ready for the next show when the traffic signal again turns red.

As I moved ahead I thought about my childhood and also the children I saw a bit earlier near my house, who seemed happy and was getting ready for school in their uniforms. I didn’t feel pain. I didn’t think further. I’ve become so indifferent after living in this city where nobody is supposed to care about any other’s business. Anyway, my thoughts wouldn’t help them in any case.