Just like any average Mumbaikar, I too indulge in my share of train traveling. I agree ‘indulge’ is too luxurious a word to use for travel in a local train compartment. But then its opens doors to hundreds of interesting personalities.
It was one of my typical joyrides back home. The compartment appeared to be bursting at the seams due to the sheer crowd. I was standing since the time I got in, a fact which most of you are aware of. And the mercury kept on rising second by second. I was my usual sweaty and tired self when I saw a mother and a child sitting on the seat. The child was quite cheerful and was interacting with the other co-passengers. He was about one and a half years old. I decided to steal some moments of joy from him.
I too smiled at him and struck off a conversation with him. I asked him all kinds of things like ‘Whats your name’? , ‘Where are you going?’. He answered all of them merrily in one word with that cute childish accent. Gradually he too began speaking a lot of things half of which I couldn’t decipher at all. Soon all the ill feeling created by the crowd, the sweat and the fatigue subsided. I took out a sugar candy and offered it to the child. Needless to say like any other child, he desired to take it. He gave a shy smile and looked at his mother for approval. When the mother gave a nod, he took the candy from me. I was just waiting for him to open it and put it greedily into his mouth, when something else took me by surprise.
The child went into deep thinking. After sometime he reached his tiny hand into his pocket and took out a coin and without a moment’s delay gave it to me. I refused to take it. But he wouldn’t budge. Finally I took the coin and it was only then that he started eating that candy. I secretly returned the coin back to his mother before getting off. The other co-passengers had a hearty laugh. Though I wasn’t really amused. Somewhere deep within my self, I was worried.
Are we communicating to our children something very dangerous? Are we giving them a feeling that they need to pay a price for everything? That they need to pay for love too?
The child was so gripped by the ways of our materialistic world that it couldn’t believe that he could ever get anything without giving money in exchange.
Is it just a child’s way of looking at things or an indication of a future where everything in this world, even love would come for a price?
4 comments:
great post..keep up the good work
Isnt it tru that we pay price for everything in this world, may not always be in form of currency...
Good that child is awar abt it at this age.. 2mrw when he grows up it will be easier for him to cope up with this world..
Love & Prayers,
Anu
google.comhey this was amazing story i really believe in giving good education to your children
both intellectual as well as, as a human being
but in this changing world many things are changing and so the definition of what is right and what is wrong.
however its only up to us that what we need to teach our childrens
kep up the good work nayana
I think that kid will become as a very good citizen.. won't beg, won't like to earn without hard work, won't vote by getting the money in return..
just as joke..probably he might have thought you as saleswoman :)
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