Who is next?

I don’t know when I met him. Daily I used to see him in my bus stop. His appearance will never impress you. But his words and dialogues will always capture the attention of people waiting for the bus. He always gives sarcastic comments on incidents happening around him. He is addressed as a mentally challenged person. In the beginning I also believed what others said. But as days passed I was forced to change my thoughts about him.

On a strike day, he was walking through the road in front my house. My mother was standing near the gate. He asked mom to give something to eat. So she went inside and came out with a food parcel. This man immediately posed a question “madam, tomorrow also if I come will you give me something to eat”. I heard this question sitting in my room. I was surprised to hear that and thought how a mentally challenged man can ask such a question.

One Sunday morning I was walking to the bus stop. He was standing on the way asked “please give me three or four rupees for a cup of tea”. I had four rupees with me I gave him that and I walked. On the spot he told “don’t go and tell anywhere you gave this money”. I didn’t bother his words at that moment as I was little busy. But later I thought about his words, what he said was correct. It is a human nature to do something and give publicity for that. 

But why this man is left alone in streets? Who pushed him there? We never notice anyone in the streets who roam about without any aim. We never bother to think for a second what made these people live in streets. Why did the public called him as mentally challenged man. I think may be because he talked like a human being without any pretentions. How many of us will have the courage to talk like him?

Think about others whom you meet on roads for a second. Include them in your thoughts and prayers. There is no use in doing anything for a person after death. If you wish to do something, act when the person is alive. Who knows if one day comes when you or I become one among them.