Little Pleasures

I always looked at the hush bush at the shop opposite my home in the evenings. I was 8 years old then stayed in a one room kitchen flat in 2 storeyed old building with my parents. Luckily I was the only child. I was very happy about being alone because, if I had a sibling I would have to even share the little I got. My dad was a School teacher and my mother a house wife.

There was a new ice cream shop opened exactly opposite my home. I got the chance of having that ice cream only once on the day of opening of the shop when they distributed free ice creams to everyone. There was so much choice, so many flavors. Name the color, and you will get a flavor matching your imagination. But I never got a chance to have that ice cream again. My dad could not afford it. Whenever I would ask for it, he would buy me a kulfi from the bhaiya who sat outside the park. I never understood the flavor of that kulfi, don’t even know why it was called kulfi. I had no other option but to have that.

Whenever I went for playing in the evening, I would see different kids, very well dressed, some in cars with their mothers who wore jeans and not sari like the women in my locality did, some fat kids with burger in one hand and ice cream in another. My friends and I discussed about the shop a lot of times. The older guys in my group showed more interest in watching the women and children like us obviously in the ice cream. Somewhere I always missed being a part of that crowd.

Days passed by and I became a CA with all that money my dad had saved, I think by not buying the expensive ice cream for me. I got a job with a MNC and was a financial advisor there.

The day my wife delivered a baby boy, I promised myself, I will give my child everything. With a lot of love and pamper, we were bringing up my little boy Sunny. As he grew up, he started asking for toys, chocolates, candies and ice creams.

I had been waiting for Sunny to grow up so that I could take him to the best ice cream parlors of the city. I took him to almost every famous café so that he did not miss any flavor. He enjoyed eating and I enjoyed watching him.

My parents understood where I took Sunny every Sunday. They always smiled. I think they had already understood and were embarrassed too because they could not give me what I could give my son.

One day I took the entire family to the very famous Juhu Beach in Mumbai. Sunny was 12 years old then. There was a lot of crowd with kids running here and there, hawkers selling their items, so many food stalls calling you to eat. We went to a comparatively empty spot and settled down. Sunny was enjoying building mountains out of sand and my wife and parents were busy chit - chatting.

Suddenly I saw the kulfi wala coming to us and asking if we would buy any. I instantly reacted in a negative way. He felt offended but I hated the sight of these kulfi walas. Because my parents had the option of buying me this kulfi, they never bought me the ice cream I wanted to have. At that time, Sunny came running towards me and asked me to buy the kulfi. I refused and told him, I will buy u a better ice cream while going home. But he acted really stubborn that day and I had to buy that kulfi for him.

Everyone’s eyes were stuck on Sunny. We thought, he would throw the kulfi after the first bite. But I was shocked to see my little boy enjoying the kulfi with great pleasure.

“ Dad, you take me to all those big cafes to buy me ice creams but the best I have tasted till now is this. Why dint u buy me this before?”

He turned towards the kulfi wala and thanked him with a broad smile.

We all just smiled. There was nothing to say.

Disgraceful Act

I cried in pain when Sameer slapped me after an argument. These were the moments I always dreaded. He was very angry but that didn't justify his act. I was shocked, angry, afraid and sad at the same time. I decided to just go away from there, go far far away from him. Decided to leave him forever this time.

I started walking aimlessly with tears in my eyes. There were so many things in my mind at the same time. All those incidents were flashing in front of my eyes when he had hit me since the first time I had asked him a simple question "Sameer, had you been to the bar??"

Didn't I have the right to ask my husband about his wherabouts? May be he didn't want to give me those rights, I felt.

I was still walking and suddenly saw Maria standing there for her client. It was late in the night and she was standing there on the street waiting for someone to pick her for their pleasure for the night. She had been my first friend after marriage but we were not on talking terms for the only reason that she was a prostitute now. The day when she told me that she was leaving her husband and would earn her living in this profession, I bid good bye to her. I didn't want a friend who was a prostitute just because she could not handle her husband's demeanor.

Today I realized why Maria was so firm. I decided to apologize to her for not being around in her tough times. Suddenly I saw Sameer walking towards Maria. Before I could actually accept the fact that it was my husband, I could hear him negotiating on the money that he will pay to Maria for the night.

"What do I do now? Where do I go? Should I go and ask Sameer the reason for what he was doing or should I just go away somewhere? If I go away, where should I go? What should I do to keep myself and my little child inside me alive? Should I also be a keep to other men. No how can I be so disgraceful. How can I spoil some other woman's life.". All these thoughts were firing in my mind.

Suddenly I calmed down and now there was nothing in my head because I knew what was I supposed to do.

22/06/2011 NEWS INDIA

A sweeper's dead body found near a gutter in Mumbai

Her husband says "The only reason for my wife committing suicide could be that she was pregnant with someone else's child. Whatever it is, I will always miss her. I have already forgiven her disgraceful act."

Acquaintance with Ramu

I could now relate to Ramu very well as I met him every day on the same signal in the evening at around 6. My auto almost every day waited at that signal for the traffic to move ahead and I would meet Ramu there.

I, very distinctly remember when the first time Ramu peeped into my auto and asked for money, I got very scared and instantly gave him the first coin that came in my hand. It was not out of mercy or pity that I gave him money; it was merely out of FEAR. In return I got a broad smile. I was pleased to see that.

Ramu was tall; dark skinned and had a strong voice. One thing that made him stand out of the crowd was his smile. A smile which had a lot of Confidence.

This had become a routine. I always had something to give to Ramu. Mostly I gave him money every day but sometimes I also got chocolates or old clothes for him. The pleased look on his face made me happy every day.

It was a Friday and I met him at the same place, it seemed like Ramu was waiting for me since long. He said “Didi, I want to talk to you if you have sometime”

“Is it something serious”, I queried and got down of the auto.

He asked me whether I have the time to sit at his home which was just one lane away and chat for a while. I don’t know why but he had the convincing power and I couldn’t refuse.

We went to his home; his roommates got up and brought water for me. I could see the confusion on their faces. They were hesitant to offer water to me because they weren’t sure whether I would eat or drink at their home. Without making the situation more awkward, I took the water and thanked them.

“What’s wrong Ramu? Any serious issue?”

“Didi it is my birthday”, he said with the same pleasing smile.

I was shocked and pleasantly surprised at the same time. Was this the reason he asked me to come to his place after such a tiring day!! Putting all my emotions aside, I wished him which was the most intelligent thing I could do at that time.

“Didi I want to celebrate my birthday with you” With this, his roommates brought a nice pineapple flavored cake. “It is Ramu’s favorite cake”, said his friends. He cut the cake, all of us wished him and they brought a lot of eating stuff.

I picked up a thing and we were chatting.

“Ramu I never knew you lived such a normal life”, I honestly muttered

“That’s ok Didi, no one knows. But I am very glad you came to my home and showed so much trust on me. We are normal human beings with just some hormonal imbalance and that’s why we are called Eunuchs. It is just some of our friends’ deeds that have made the entire community look bad. The society accepts the word homosexual with great pride but accepting the word ‘Eunuch’ is a matter of shame for everyone. I am born that way and I don’t have a choice in my life except for begging. But you know didi I am learning to style and tailor clothes. Look at that machine I brought from saving all the money you give me every day. Once I am done with learning this, I will start my own business and will go a great way ahead. “

His talks inspired me to think that day.

While leaving, I tried giving him some money as gift but he didn’t accept it and said he wanted my presence and no gift.

He handed some chocolates for my family, thanked me for celebrating his birthday and called for an auto for me.

With a smile and some confused opinions, I left his place.

When I reached home, my little daughter rushed towards me and I gave her the chocolates. “Mumma you brought it??”

“No, Ramu – my FRIEND has sent for you. You know baby you should meet him sometime.”

PS: Some facts about EUNUCH

1. a man who has been castrated, esp (formerly) for some office such as a guard in a harem

2. A man or boy whose testes is non functioning or have been removed.

The Ancient Indian Kama Sutra refers to people of a "third sex" (triteeyaprakrti), who can be dressed either in men's or in women's clothes and perform fellatio on men.

Matthew 19:11-12

For some are eunuchs because they were born that way; others were made that way by men; and others have renounced marriage because of the kingdom of heaven.