November, 2014, Delhi
“Oh please Meghna! Don’t tell me you are going to buy this!” Said a visibly vexed Sujay. But Meghna kept on bargaining for the maroon Long coat which she picked up from the rotating hanger stand from the roadside hawker at Sarojini Nagar.
“Rs.400, last price madam” said the hawker with utter determination.
Meghna took it at that price succumbing to the hawker’s confidence and her boyfriend Sujay’s constant irritated glances after 3hours of continuous shopping. He was already overloaded with shopping bags.
Meghna turned eyes, the next day, when she wore the long coat to her office. It suited well on her slender frame.
March, 2014, Kullu
“Lift the car carefully, there are bodies in it”, shouted the army man, to the crane driver. The car carrying 2 French couples, had slumped from the cliff accidentally, killing all its occupants. The locals were busy in helping the army men, in rescuing the car from the trench.
When the car was brought up after two hours of effort, the army men shared with one another disgusted glances on seeing the bodies had no winter garments.
The man had a cunning smile on his face, in an anticipation of getting good value of his recent loot at the market in Manali. He had in his Jhola a leather jacket and a maroon long coat, which he snatched in a scuffle with another local present at the accident spot. Luckily, they were the first to find the crashed car during early morning hours.
January, 2017, Delhi
The gap toothed scrawny beggar with unkempt hair, smiled contentedly. He has felt warm for the night in his roadside tattered tent. He was grateful to the person who had left the maroon long coat yesterday on the “Neki ki Diwaar”.
Glossary-
Neki ki deewar- (wall of kindness)- many societies have come up with this innovative idea to help the needy. They have installed hooks on their society walls, where they leave old/new cloths, to be used by others.
