What a Waste!

Recently, one boy, who had just completed his HSC, contacted my cousin sister Gayatri asking her how to become an entrepreneur. His father is the waterman in my sister’s area. His father cannot afford his further education. And the family belongs to the open category. She told him to first get the Economically Backward Class certificate, complete his education and then think of becoming an entrepreneur.

When my sister told me about this incident, I remembered this story, What a Waste!, that I had written years ago. I am sharing it with you here:

What a Waste!

It was the end of the working day. Radha Srinivasan was completely exhausted as she left the office. Hunger was striking chords in her belly. The vada pao stall beckoned invitingly. But she wouldn’t turn in that direction since she was on a diet. The ace journo of The True Story made her way toward the flyover, which would take her toward the other side of the railway tracks.

“Asha must have reached home and must have some warm scrumptious meal ready. Oh dear! My stomach is rumbling,” Radha looked at the shops still open with inviting wafers and chocolates. She had to give them a pass since these were absolute no-no foods during dieting.

“Who’s there on this side of the flyover?” Somebody was trying to get on this side of the incomplete parapet wall. She ran toward the shadowy figure. There was no streetlight nearby, she shined her pocket torch on the figure. She preferred the torch, though her mobile had one too. According to her, mobiles were meant for calling, messaging and the internet on the go. If she used it for the torch as well, then she might not have enough battery left till she reached home. If she got an emergency call? Or if she had to call someone, due to some urgent reason?

“Hey, what do you think you are doing?” The torch light revealed a man in his early 20s. Caught unawares, he straightened up.

“Why were you trying to jump on to the railway tracks?”

“It is none of your business, lady. Go home,” the man was rude to her.

“No. I’ll call the police, if you don’t stop,” she threatened.

“Who are you? A social worker?’

“No. I am just a citizen of this democracy…”

“Pooh, don’t give me that crap about democracy. Democracy has gone to the dogs.”

“Why do you say so?”

“Democracy cannot provide the necessities of life.”

“How can you say that? You look like a decent young man probably educated. You might even have a roof over your head. What more do you want?”

“What else, but a job? Or that roof will not stay above my head. I have 3 more mouths to feed. This is the only decent pair of pants and shirt I have.”

“Do tell me your story,” she insisted, compassionately.

To be continued…