It was a nice evening . Me and my friend decided to hang out . well my friend is a bookworm since childhood..so she insisted on going to library but i begged her to accompany me to the cafe.
.we decided to walk there .. the signal was red and we were going to cross the road but suddenly her eye caught someone... my friend really have a good eye for talent.. except me... it was a girl...
a little 10 year old girl with two braids ..my brother is of same age as her
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... her Financial conditions were not so good. she was selling gel pens on the subway...
as lights were red she rushed towards a vehicle and said “uncle! uncle! can you please take one pen... it's only of ten rupee.”
that middle aged men replied with an annoyed tone“i don't have any money but a 100rupee note ”.
.
that girl still insisted as she really needed money..but that man wasn't listening to her and was giving her excuses...
.
at last she said with a loud and clear voice“don't worry i have change... gimmi 100 rupees and I'll return 90 back”
her voice wasn't trembling... she wasn't scared... she stood up for herself and people like her...
at last many people bought pens from her. my friend bought 10 pens from her... and they had a good conversation in English... yes... in English... i remember my brother saying that I'm Indian and I'll speak hindi... that girl was not so fluent but the words she said were“i only have a mother and she can't feed me because she's so weak... so i go to school and sell gel pens in free time so i can support my mother... one day I'll fly aeroplane” my friend patted her head and said“work hard”
.
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the signal was red again and we Crossed the road... I'm thick skinned but my friend is soft from core.... i was able to see tears forming in her eyes and escaping silently with little sniffing sounds.. but i neither stopped nor comforted her because we have to be strong if we're weak... that girl's story gave me this moral ..
i also remember one last thing
“MY NAME IS SHIKSHA”
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.she said with the most beautiful smile in this world
I'm sitting on my chair writing this after three months... my friend passed two months straight after that day... i miss her and that girl... now tears and sniffing sounds in this room are mine.. but difference is that... they're not silent... they're loud...