THAT OLD WOMAN AND THIS YOUNG WOMAN.

The sky withered its sweat on the earth,  that old woman started unknotting the edge of her torn cotton sari, she saw few coins bestrewed in the rotten biscuits she ate few days ago, she   started going behind the passengers who hurried with their luggage to catch their train, the sky ceased to sweat, no one cared to notice her, the wrinkles tried stimulating the empathy from the people. The little puddles which were left behind by the rain boiled with drizzling rain drops and drenched the expensive footwear and inexpensive feet, the puddles knew no difference, so did rain, that old woman called them “sir” and “madam”  still  the crowd  walked with indifference, the unknown railway station also had few young beggars with physical frailty, they chanted the same “sir”, “madam”  mantra, few heard the desperate voices and  blessed them with few coins, but that old woman still went behind the crowd begging and chanting the same mantra, she was perplexed and shocked with the crowd’s indifference, it hadn’t happened before, no never, she had never faced indifference before, and suddenly, she noticed few sympathetic corner of the eyelids watching her and those eyes penetrated  her wrinkles and gave her a coin, she sat on the platform with satisfaction and counted the coins she had and breathed with relief that she saved meagre amount to buy food today, the two days of her starving deteriorated her health. 

She watched the desperate old souls begging like her, she knew this railway station, she knew its darkest days, she knew its aura and essence, she feared the indifference of society! These desperate Old souls  gain abundant sympathy at times and complete indifference sometimes, she feared its disability, her eyelids drooped, her legs shivered, the coins scattered on the floor, she fell with the thud. 

She opened her eyes, this young woman unfurled her eyelids and watched the crowd, few “customers” waited for her, she didn’t call them “sir” and “madam”, she called them  “customers”, the same passengers walked with their luggage, but with no indifference, they ogled her, they ogled her flesh, though it was painful, this young woman tolerated the pain and waited for the approach, Suddenly a hirsute  hands dragged her from behind and thrust few rupee notes on her hand, she hid her face and went behind him and breathed with relief that she saved amount to buy food today.

That old woman and this young woman walked tiredly on the same platform, those anonymous passengers passed away hurriedly!