On one of the wet rainy day in Mumbai, while I was rushing for my office bus I came across a small girl who was running towards the C-wing of our apartment. She caught my attention because it was unusual walk, as I found that she had chappal only in one foot and held back the other one. By the time I reached bus stop she rushed in with a Tiffin box and by now she was bare footed. Suddenly a blunt voice a lady in her late thirties appeared asking her “what is this bull shit. why are you moving bare footed?” There was a dead silence for few seconds but then the some murmuring of the little chaps made the zone little bit lighter. The difference in the girl was evident among the whole crowd as the rest all were properly dressed up. Though the gathering was for the children waiting for their school bus, the parents accompanying them were as properly dressed up as their successors. To my astonishment I found some of their mothers in their exclusive night gown but with Lipstick on their lips. I guess their busy morning schedule has left them with no time for their beautification. Some of them were wearing very expensive watches so that probably they won’t miss out on the bus. All of a sudden again that harsh voice interrupted my thought process “Lali, Are you going to stand here till the bus arrives? Who would be doing the rest of stuff?” . I realized the small girl was Lali (English meaning Reddish).Immediately Lali vanished from that gathering. Then the same lady started some proper RCA (root cause analysis) to the event saying this girl (Lali) is a real pain as she does not know how to work. Though the lady is spending so much of money on Lali but she is of no use as end of the day the lady has to do the entire house hold work. As I love to assess or judge people from their attire and their appearance, I immediately stared at her. She had long nails with exclusive designs and nail paints on them, was wearing around 4-5 rings with the expensive glittering gems catching my attention and to cover her she had a silk gown with some sort furs in it. I remembered when I have to clean my whole house on weekend the first thing I used to do is wear a boxer short and then get rid of my long nails so that by the end of my work they should be clean and intact. So the appearance of the lady and her story of Lali was bit of a paradox for me. But I was sure miracle could happen at any time. In the mean time the rude “PWAAAN” that was my office bus’s horn ordered me to get in.
The next day was Friday. I guess everyone working in a corporate IT firm long for this day to come as they would be out of the cattle yard for next two days and the so called business casuals attire let them feel good. When I reached my stop that day it looked more colorful than usual as the small chaps were wearing colorful uniforms and their bags and bottles added more vibrancy to it. I found my distinct small lady Lali holding a bag and bottle in her hand but without a uniform. I thought she was holding it for someone else. Suddenly a greeting voice for Mrs Gandhi distracted my observation and I found Ms Gandhi was none other than the lady who was screaming at Lali yesterday. Thank god I found a name for this observation specie. I found Lali calling Aryan and asking him to take the bag and bottle as bus would be there in no time. Then as usual the harsh and proudly voice surfaces “Don’t you have little bit of patience? Let him play, when the bus comes you should give him.”An adorable and blushing smile from Aryan showed abutment to Mrs Gandhi’s word. But when I looked at Lali I could find she was hurt due to the harsh words and her eyes looked wet with few droplets of tears rolling out. By this time the school bus arrived and Lali kept the bag till the last leap of Aryan into the bus, then without any expression she went back to the apartment.
I tried to remember whether Mrs Gandhi was holding Aryan’s belonging yesterday but I could not imagine that as she was dressed up in such a way that it would not have matched her attire. Then all of a sudden a bunch of greetings were waived off by the parents and bus went. Ms Gandhi started the conversation “I am fed up, these maid are result of your last birth of sins. They only ask for good food and good clothes but while working they would do all sort of blunders. Could you believe Lali eats twice the amount our whole family takes?” Before I could be part of more such allegation my bus mate patted on my shoulder and asked me to get in.
It was around 8 o’clock in the evening when I got down from office bus at my place and I opted to embrace some serious health hazards by taking some smokes. I excused myself from a small lady within the crowd and asked two smokes. The shopkeeper gave me two smokes and asked me to wait for the change and I never mind this because I was not sure about the final count of the smokes. By the time I finished one the place became quite and I heard a pleading voice saying “I don’t have that much”. I turned back and found the small girl to be Lali. She was pleading to the shopkeeper to let her go and not to tell her mistress about the same. After few minutes of such conversation the shopkeeper used some slangs for her. I interrupted the guy and asked him what the matter is. I was told that she has called someone from the PCO and the bill is of 33 rupees and she had only 20 and this type of thing often happens with her. I brought an end to the conversation by asking the shop keeper to take the rest of the amount from me. I took the money, started crossing road and by the time I was entering my building premises Lali came to me and said “Thank You Bhaiya”. I have never felt that thirteen rupee can be such valuable at times. I immediately confirmed whether she stays at Mrs Gandhi’s place and she nodded her head. I asked her age, reply was 15 but I was surprised to hear that as she must not be more than 10. I asked her whether she doesn’t go to school and with an unusual smile she said no and she had left the school last year. I asked her immediately when she left the school she was in which class and she said she was in sixth standard. I was not wrong with my guess work so I asked her the reason she left the school. She said her father asked her to go to Mumbai with an uncle who left her at Ms Gandhi’s place. I wanted to know who was over the phone then she said her mom. I don’t know why I was so curious to know about her but suddenly she said bhaiya I have to go otherwise Ms Gandhi would scold me. Before I could utter a word she vanished.
After the weekend on Monday at the bus stop I found everyone except Lali. I was looking for her all the time I was there but she did not turn up. In the evening though I was not in a mood to smoke but I forced myself to do so if I could find her. I thought of asking the shopkeeper but could not do so. I came back to my place and sat on the window where I would get the maximum view of my apartment. Next day the same thing happened only difference was I managed to ask the Shop Keeper about her but he said she has not been there since the last time I was there. The whole week I tried to find her where about but still I was clue less. On the next weekend when I was going for morning breakfast I saw Lali with a middle aged man. I thought of going to her and ask her why she was not there since last one week but I found the man carrying some luggage as if they are moving out. The social constraints did not allow me to go to her and ask the reason behind all these.” Namaste Sirji” the words of Society watchmen helped me to divert my attention from them. While he found me staring at them,
he told me”Mrs Gandhi”. He said the girl was Mrs Gandhi’s maid but on last week Mr Gandhi’s driver found her talking to a guy outside the building premises. When she was asked about this she said that she did not know the guy. But this explanation could not eliminate Mrs Gandhi’s doubt. She beat the girl mercilessly and kept her under house arrest for last 4 days. When neighbors came to know this fact they called some NGO (it was a child helpline) and they freed her. Those guys called Lali’s parents and the man with Lali is her father. I felt as if I lost a battle brutally and as if the whole world fell down on me. Before I could recover myself from this event a known voice called me “Bhaiya”. It was Lali, she was smiling but I could find the mark of wounds on her face, her swelled eyes and chin. Before I could say anything to her he gave me a folded ten rupee note. I could not deny her as I was feeling as if I have lost all my sense. All of a sudden she ran towards her father. I was standing like a statue and watch man was asking me “What happen Sir?” “Why did she give you money?”.
But I was mum and could hardly speak out.
