CHILDHOOD THAT ISN'T QUITE THERE.......

I had just come back from office and after a nice bath began to get myself mentally ready for another struggle with Dal and Chappatis. I had instructed them not to send Dal with Chappatis. It makes my life all the more difficult and me a bit homesick. Believe me; it is difficult for a strict non-vegetarian Bengali to survive on this kind of diet. Nevertheless, I adapted (read surrendered) to the situation quite some time back. Anyways, I was feeling hungry and was about to call for my Tiffin when I heard someone calling “Bhaiya” from outside. I opened the door and here I find a kid of twelve perhaps standing with a Tiffin box meant for me. For a moment, I really felt good as the kid understood what the rest of the world (including my parents and especially my Jijaji) is finding difficult to accept off late. Jijaji has only one issue to discuss every time we speak over phone and I have only one answer for him …..“Main toh Bachcha hoon ji……” . Just to drive home the point, I have a couple of cousins who are tiny tots. Ok I must get back to the kid or else he would leave. I offered him a Dairy Milk and he refused. I thought he was shy but then his reply surprised me. “Bhaiya mujhe chocolates achche nahi lagte….woh bahaut mithey hote hain!!!”. Back in my childhood days, my father would have been very proud of my reasoning had I ever told him the same thing (Bhaiya to be replaced by Baba of course). But, here I was standing in a pair of shorts and a Dairy Milk in my hand whereas the kid was in attire and with behaviour that reflected his lost childhood. But the shocker came when I enquired about his name. He replied “Chotu” and so I enquired again for his actual name. The reply that I got was “Mujhe maloom nahi…sab mujhe Chotu hi bulatey hain!!!”. I took the Tiffin box from him and as my eyes made contact with his, I could see the restlessness and a bit of naughtiness that kids usually have. He said Bye and ran down the staircase. I stood in the Balcony and watched him go. What I had seen in his eyes was true. He was jumping over the Gates and mingling with other children just as any kid would do. However, he realised that he had to go to some other house to deliver the Tiffin and got on to his Bicycle and soon he was not to be seen. But the other kids were still enjoying their time ignorant of the hard ways of life.

Talking of his Bicycle, it seems to be his only friend. It is actually meant for someone much older but Chotu is a good Cyclist. The Bicycle is a typical one but it has a crate on it of course for the Tiffin boxes. Chotu loves his cycle very much and prefers to peddle his way even if the destination is the next building. Along the way, he would explore the bylanes and stop by for some time with the other kids. Five minutes of football or some lamp to aim at with the stones or simply to touch the cricket ball that is hit in his direction. That is all he wishes for and that is when you wish a better childhood for him.

The next day he came and this time I offered him a packet of Bingo. He accepted gladly and finished of the packet within a minute. I asked him if he liked it and he said YES. Perhaps, sweetness has gone out of his life at an early age. Then his eyes fell on my laptop and he entered my room. A movie was on and he sat there silent enjoying the movie. Five minutes had hardly gone by, and he rushed out. The sense of responsibility is much better in him then in many of the older people that I have come across. For that matter, sometimes even I lose focus and meander into some other world but this kid knows his work. That’s a good quality but an unfortunate one nonetheless at his age.

Just two days back, I had gone for breakfast and I saw the kid being scolded by one of the fellow workers there. He had tears in his eyes and the eyes were watery but the tears never rolled down. Perhaps he has already learnt to control his emotions. We scolded that man and immediately a smile could be seen on his face. The childlike innocence becomes evident on occasions but the rest of the time, there is a mask of an adult on him.

I really feel bad for him and sometime I do feel like reporting it to the police. But then the Lady who employs him does take care of him. Though the law against Child Labour helps in checking the exploitation but then what after that???? I am not sure if a proper rehabilitation process is in place. What about the family back home????? Is the situation back home hopeless???? Do they solely depend on the young kid’s income for survival???? The Law and its enforcement is necessary but the subsequent betterment of both the kid and his family should be the most important factor in deciding the viable course of action. Till the time Law is not able to take care of that the kid should be left to live life as he is doing now. Moralistic principles often discount the reality. Hopefully, his employer will realise the need for a child to be conversant with at least the ABCs. But then again someday, you will read a post from me on how the kid has to bear the burden of both work and studies. It’s easy to think and type on a laptop but LIFE is far more complex than that. As for now, I can only wish the kid GOODLUCK and pray for his better life. A Dairy Milk for me and a BINGO for the kid!!!!