100 YEARS

We, humans, have a curious nature. We never lack questions. Some questions are unproductive; some are sensible. There is always a question we all ponder upon. Some find the answer; some fail. I have one such question. I have been contemplating it. Till now, I don’t have an answer. Before asking the question, I am going to share a story. A story of a boy.

As customary, with the sun in the sky and cars on the roads, Mumbai streets are filled with kids begging. When the traffic signals turn red, they reach the cars: knocking on the window, asking for food, money. Few visitors might be generous to give them money or food. The resident of Mumbai might pull up the window or shoo them off. These have been the common culture of Mumbai streets. But this time there is a slight difference.

Among the thousands of kids asking for money and food, one little boy was searching job. This eight-year-old boy reached the car, “Can you please give me a job?” This question caught many people off guard. Seeing an exception in the culture, many people stared at him. His body was not as burly as his question. It seemed like the thin figure had popped out from a picture book. The ribs were visible. He wore a black, torn pant, tied with a string around his waist, and two slippers from different pairs. There are several bruises around his grey, dusty body. His black hair was curly and dirty. His body spoke about his trivial strength, yet there was a paradox. His black eyes etched in the socket were beaming, refuting all the statements claimed his body. Many cars went by. Some took pity on him and gave him money, but money couldn’t appease him.

His accomplice called him ‘patlu’ He was not very fond of it. He would throw stones and mumble some slangs he learned from the streets. He has decided a name for him ‘sher’(lion). He had heard this name once on a radio at the tea stall on the bridge. It said sher was the king of the jungle. He liked the name. He didn’t want the life of a beggar living in the slam. He dreamt of living a luxurious life like a king. He will live in the most beautiful building in the world, have a big car. There will be many servants in his service. People would do anything to talk to him. Those foreign people who speak a different language will take pictures with him.

He would smile at his thought and get hyped up to search for a job. He has seen the kid working at the tea stall getting money every month. If he could get a job, he would also earn money. Sher was planning on- how to get a job when a drop of water fell on him. He looked up; the sky grew overcast with black clouds. It started drizzling. He was bound to go to the only shelter present nearby. A small dirty place under the bridge. All the children who were begging gathered there. Some were bullying the weaker; Some were playing. He loathes those aimless creatures. Their laid-back attitude toward life made him squeamish.

The cloud became ferocious; Thunderclap often lited the sky. As if they were in jubilation, celebrating their triumph over the sun. It was hard to tell whether it was day or night. The gentle shower turned into a harsh rain, with the gusty wind making an eerie sound. People who were loth about the drizzle started rushing. Some took shelter in hotels, tea stalls, or under a building. The cars were still moving with an apathetic attitude and went honking through the sounds of rain, splashing the water on the footpath. The building stood tall getting wet. They have been standing there since sher could remember. The busy Mumbai came to a sudden halt for the poor who couldn’t afford a car. There was rarely any people walking on the road with their umbrella. Sher was standing leaning against the pillar, alone separated from the community. His eyes were wandering through the rain. The rain showed no sign of stopping or slowing down. Rather it started falling more intensely. One of the boys' yields, “ It looks like the god did not pee for a long time.” All of them burst out in laughter. Sher didn’t laugh. Even though it was funny, he stifled his laughter to not be like them.

He was thinking of taking a nap when he saw a car stopping in front of the hotel. It was a white car. A woman came out of it- opening an umbrella. “ Hurry up, take anything you can get.” A man shouted from within the car. Probably his husband, sher thought. The window glass was still down. The man was talking to someone on the phone. Another door opened, this time the back door. It was a girl around his age or younger. She looked for her mother and started running towards her across the road. A truck was coming rushing from the road end. Sher’s body sprinted up and started running towards her. His mind was blank. He could not think of anything but save her. His father now noticed it came out of the car. Sher is down now out on the road running. His father tried to run but slipped and twisted his ankle. Ahhh! He gave out a cry of frustration and dismay. The car had moved faster than sher calculated. A couple more steps and everything would be over. The woman cried and fainted on the road. Sher dived to push the girl out of the way. Kaboom! A thunderclap blared his ear and blinded his vision.

Sher could hear the sound of rain. There was another familiar sound. The siren of an ambulance. He was still half-conscious. A few people were talking. He tried to listen but couldn’t understand it. His head was spinning; his vision was dizzy; his body was crying out in pain. He lost his consciousness again.