Old lady with torn clothes

First of all thanks for reading my previous post and appreciating it. Frds today i want to share an incident happened with me last week in railway station which has stunned me and I am still traumatized.

 I was in Raipur railway station waiting for Janshatabdi express to go my home town Bilaspur .I was on platform no.1 with disposable cup of tea in my hands feeling the arrival of winter season and enjoying sips of hot tea. I moved on to A.H.W book stall to buy Hindi edition of 'India Today' suddenly I saw an old lady whom my mind recognized but my heart was struggling hard to believe that I know her very well.

She has wrinkles all over her face and  her untidy greyish hair whispering that she has not washed them from weeks, her lean and thin body suggesting that she has not taken nutritive food from months. I was shocked when my mind processed that face and ultimately resulted that she was one of the resident of sheet quarters, Kirandul where I spended my childhood.

In the mean time I realized that my train is whistling, I have given 15 Rs. to the stall keeper and moved in the train. Coincidentally I got the window seat in front of that bookstall where this old lady was standing with her hands in begging position requesting almost everyone crossing near her for food and money. In a quandary state of mind I was thinking of her two sons who were almost 10 yrs elder than me and use to play with me when I was 5-6 yrs of age.

Lots of questions were arising in my mind regarding two of them. The five minute scenario had already disturbed me a lot and I wanted to forgot all that. In the mean time the train has given final whistle and it started moving slowly.

 All of a sudden I realized that I should help her and with my laptop bag I jumped out from the train not realizing that the speed has crossed the border level. I fell down but anyhow I managed my laptop bag to land safely in the platform. In the mean time I saw two GRP constable shouting on me, I dusted my clothes and moved towards bookstall where that lady was still begging with her low voice.

 I went near her and asked wheather she remembers me or not. she with her white surprised eyes has not replied me once but again I asked her, she with her andhrite ascent replied me in 'no'. I again asked her whether she is from Kirandul, this time I saw a pain scattering in her face rapidly. She with her howling low voice said yes.

 I asked her about her family she again with her weeping voice told me that her husband died 15 yrs ago and her two sons don't have a space neither in their home nor in their heart for their mother. What surprised me was that when she told me one of her son is in Indian army serving as an officer and another one is an engineer in secundarabad.

I asked her about their addresses but she denies that she doesn't wants to see their faces in rest of her life. I observed  her Sari which was torn from many places and even she doesn’t have any woolen cloth to prevent her from frosty weather.

I requested her to come with me in the canteen, she slowly followed me. I ordered a veg meal for her, she asked me my name, I told her my name Rinku and asked her about my mother, she instantly replied in yes. While she was eating I saw many of the customers including the canteen manager staring me as I am an alien. I paid the bill and given five notes of 100 Rs. to old lady instructing her to buy some clothes and shawl for her.

She with her wet eyes refused to take money but I insisted her to accept as a gift from her son. She told me that she lives in railway platform in Raipur and not ready to go in any ashram or old age home. I saw the time on my wrist watch it was 8.30, I touched her feet and given my visiting card to her so that she can contact me in any need.

It’s almost five days now since this incident takes place and I am still feeling very distressed. This incident is only a reflection of what’s happening in our society and it also proves the importance of financial planning. Friends give me your valuable suggestions which will help me in improving my blogging.