After more than 30 hours in the train in the Coromandel, the train winding its way to the platform at Central to the cacophony of announcements. As usual the station was jostling with people each rushing to their trains while the hawkers shouted themselves hoarse plying their coffees, teas and biscuits.
As I got down the train, I was damn happy to breathe the Madras air. Even a week’s stay away leaves a void.
I saw a line of porters squatting on the platform four feet apart and they resembled a well drilled army. I saw a little girl dressed in that red uniform with a licensed “billa” and shouting attraction for her services.
Before I approached the girl – appeared just over 10 – she whisked my luggage to my annoyance. My morals won’t allow for child labour and I had no need for a porter but this girl was so determined that my vehement protests seemed to drown under an iron determination.
She found me an honest auto saying,” Pay me what you think is right?”
I gave her a tenner and flashing a smile, she said,” my father is in the hospital and we need to pull along” and shrugged her shoulder by way of an apology.
I am a Vice President in a MNC and my talks are popular in all those inane Rotary club meetings where besides a lot of self promotion, we also do some service to the poor. For once, I recommended this girl to the committee for sponsoring her education. Somehow I was attracted by the imp’s behaviour and spirit.
So one more dash to the Central, as I found this girl in the porter community. She was Jyothi as I asked to be taken to her parents.
I made her sit in my Toyota Innova and she blushed, “Sar, I have never sat in a car before”.
I met her parents in a small hamlet called Orupakkam, near Perumbar and offered to educate her child and in addition provide for health and food.
I said pompously,” I wish to educate this girl with the same intensity of what I would do to my own daughter. I want her to become a doctor or an engineer and live a better life”.
The parents were delighted and also requested that we sponsor her little brother as well.
Our Rotary connection got both these kids admission in Ramakrishna Mission schools in Chengalpet, 40 kms away from the city. We created a corpus fund of Rs3 lacs for these kids and the monthly interests would provide for their upkeep; monks at the mission were themselves the very soul of service and accommodated to all our pleas.
After having done my bit of humanity, I retired to my corporate jungle having an asshole boss to contend and Jyothi, another forgotten episode.
Yesterday, I went to Chengalpet for a darshan at the temple and you know what, the Vice Principal said,” The porter girl has got admission into IIT”.
They were all praise for the girl and I savoured her success. I saw her as she bent down to touch my feet and I said,” Tomorrow we shall celebrate Deepavalli at my residence and I will send a car to pick both of you”.
This is one sweet ending. Hope other issues also find pleasanter ends.
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