“Shabji…do din se kuch nahin khaya…bhook lagi hai”. Walk out onto the streets and most certainly a homeless tramp would utter this to you. An age-old preset line used by every beggar, not surprising really, it still works! It did on me too yesterday evening when I walked out of a cellphone showroom. Well, I may be an exception to this, as I usually give away atleast a rupee to them. Possibly so that they stop annoying me or just because I cannot see someone in poor state. Yes, I am still learning to be a beggar ignorant, a skill that most metropolitan people have mastered. Anyway, a few bucks away and I am not broke. So I don’t really mind.
So this eight or nine year old poor kid finds me (they all always do! :( ). It sometimes amuses me, how beggars find their catch, is it just randomly? If so may be I am their random favourite who does not usually disappoint them. I am just too bad at ignoring beggars. Especially when I walk out from one of my city’s premium restaurants (where I just paid a huge overhead for the food and yet left a few bucks as a tip to a salaried guy waiting there). Then why not a few bucks to the beggar who spot me on while entering, and waited all while till I was out so that he can get a few bucks. It’s very interesting how these beggars spot their catch (rock-hearted to say so… I am just learning to be). A couple sitting on a beachside (you think that guy with a fat wallet would refuse in front of his fiancee?), a mom with her kid who gave them a glance (Bet me! She gonna give a rupee in her kid’s hand and ask to handover, thinking that she taught some good values)… But then why me?!!! Or may be as I said, I just might be their random favourite.
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