Veer Shivaji

Its 18 past 9 and I am headed home in the Local, just crossing Byculla.

The evening was uneventful, left office, took a slow local to Elphinstone and then waited for another at Parel for over 20 mins.

Damn locals! The 2 that came were too crowded and then there was none for a long time. I eventually decided to take one in the opposite direction and board a comparatively lesser crowded one from Currey Road.

I saw a young boy, not over 6-7 years old, standing alone on the door of the First class compartment. One look and I knew he was with no-one. He wore oversized, tattered clothes, the ones that people give away when they don't want them anymore. His face bore marks of physical abuse, he probably hadn't bathed for a long time. I sat down and glanced at him again. He came and sat beside me, as if in a world of his own. His gaze caught something under the opposite seat. I looked at what he was looking at. A bourbon biscuit! He shyly picked it up, I believe to eagerly consume. I looked in the other direction, so as not to make him uncomfortable, probably myself too. Then I decided to ask him not to have it. As I turned, to my surprise, he was throwing it out of the window. I asked him where he stayed. "The Local". I probed further "Which station will you get off?" No reply. I decided to change the topic. I asked him if he was hungry, if he would like to have a Vada Pav, a chocolate maybe. He denied the offer, showing me a 5 rupee coin that he was holding. "Cold drink?" "Milk Shake !", he replied. By this time the other people in the compartment started looking at us, at me suspiciously. I had the feeling that you have when you know someone is looking at you, and I turned towards the nearest person seated about three seats away. "Yeh kis ke saath hai?" "Pata Nahi." I got up and enquired the other people, same reply. Strangely, there was a boy, about 20 years old, who was not looking like a First Class passenger. Intuitively (and I am ashamed of my intuition which classifies people this way), I asked him "Aapke saath hai ye ?" He denied vehemently, not to get involved in something like this. I approached another passenger, who looked my age, "aapko pata hai kahan se chada hai yeh?" The reply was expected, the sideways movement of the head. We reached Chinchpokli station. "Aapke dost hain?" I asked him as I took my seat. "Hmmm" by this time he had lied down on the seat opposite mine. "Kahan rehte hain woh?" He mumbled something incomprehensible. "Haan?" Same reply.

"Aap ka naam kya hai?" I missed his name in the loud noise of a passing train. I asked again, "Veer Shivaji"

"Yeh toh bahut achha naam hai. Aapke mummy papa kahan hai?" "Mar gaye"

I've never felt what I felt at that moment. Never want to feel that again. Don't want anyone to feel that way, ever.

The Sideways-Movement-of-the-Head Guy walked to the door to get off at Byculla. I got up and asked him what we could do "Any ideas?" "Kya pata? Mujh ko toh thoda disturbed lag raha hai." "Kahin le ke ja sakte hain isay?" "Pata nahi" The train stopped at Byculla, he got off. Leaving the about 20 year-old boy and myself with Shivaji, who had by this time come and stood beside us. Looking at his bare feet, I asked if he wanted shoes? No reply. I asked him again if he was hungry. He said he wasn't. "Milk shake kitne ka aata hai?" I asked Shivaji as I took out my wallet. "Ek ka" I took out a 10 Rupee note. "Haan", he said. I gave him the money. "Aur chahiye?" No reply. He had gotten busy keeping the 15 Rupees that he now had in a worn out pocket in his shorts. For once it seemed to me that he was copying me. I told him to make sure he has the milk shake. I decided to get off at Sandhurst Road station as I had already travelled three stations too far and moved towards the door. He went towards the other door and stood there, holding the door handle. The other boy walked up towards me "Station kis taraf aayega" "Isi taraf aayega, station pe koi Police wala hoga kya?" I asked him. "Pata nahi, par kaun panga le, woh poochega kahan se laya isko, lafda kar dega woh log" I thought of my life and at that moment, decided against any ideas of handing him to the authorities. I looked back towards the opposite door. Shivaji wasn't there. I ran towards the door when I saw him, seated in one of the seats. The local had entered the platform. It didn't feel right leaving him alone "Yahan Milk shake milta hai, aaoge?" He nodded and joined us at the door. We got off.

"Yahan aagey milta hai" I pointed to one of the shops and waited. "Nahi peena" The local moved. "Is pe mat chadna ab, doosri mei jaana" Shivaji just stood there. The local gathered speed and left, leaving the two of us, looking at each other. He turned, moved to a bench and sat down. My Local was approaching from the other side. I thought of the hardships this little one braves daily. I tried to put myself into his position, I couldn't, or maybe I didn't want to. I looked the other way.

My local stopped, I moved towards it, glanced at Shivaji once and boarded. He was looking at me. I turned around, stood at the door and looked towards him.

Shivaji said "Aye ladke, dhyaan se ghar jaana."

He smiled, I smiled back.

"Tum bhi" I wished him in my heart, hoping I had done more.

Dressing Table, Ainvay hi..

The Sketch

The Image

Love

Re-She :)

Random Sketches...

Random sketches made over the past few days...

Happy Diwali :)

Love

Re-She..

Becoming part of THE system.

I always wondered, what does it mean to Become part of the System.
And well, what is this System?

Is it my family? Or the society? Perhaps my country, or is it just my lifestyle? Is it something I can control or something that controls me? Is it the government? Armed forces probably, probably not. Friends? Don't think so. Is there only 1 single system or many of them? Am I part of just one or numerous? Can I un-become part of a system? Is it possible to move amongst them? If yes, is the move voluntary, automatic or forced? Can I influence a system into adapting to me? Is the System differentiated by Geography, Religion, Ideology, Belief, Politics, Age, etc? Is a System good? Or Evil? Can one Predict it? If there are multiple Systems, do they co-exist or are isolated? What determines this existence? And Most Importantly, do Systems really Exist? If Yes, WHY?

A lot of these questions can be answered in a Yes or No.

Why do they exist?
All I believe is Systems are all around us, they are in everything we do (& we don't) and they help us in doing everything.

But just like The Matrix -

No one can be Told what a System is, You have to see it for yourself.

So, would you have the Blue Pill or the Red One ?

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