Most of us the "social-beings" think that money is the solution to every problem but we fail to realise money can buy everything but a soul or happiness.
And that doesn't mean I don't like to dream big. I do have my own goals and aspirations. And some places in Kolkata really instills the faith of achieving those goals. A few of those places are the Middleton Row and the Park Street Area. Ever since I visited the place (not much time ago) I fell in love with it. It is one of the richest areas of the city with all big offices, famous restaurants, the church, the haunted cemetery and my favourite The Oxford Bookstore-where I love to spend hours reading books while sipping my Afogato drink. The place always invigorates me to see huge dreams of being really successful in life.
But this afternoon was a bit different. I was walking past Peter Cat towards Au Bon Pain when I saw a young man with steel colored suit, branded sunglasses and shoes and two guards accompanying him. The first sight was awesome as he walked through the street but that followed a small kid who was selling balloons eagerly following this man to sell his goods.
I still remember the very first day I visited park street with my sister in the Christmas eve and we were taking selfies on the well lit pavement in front of Au Bon Pain when a little girl came to us for selling balloons and kept on requesting us to buy one. We finally gave in and took one. Later on she clicked a nice photo of me and didi and I took a selfie with her. I also clicked a snap with the kid wearing disco-goggles(goggles with l.e.d lights) who was selling Christmas caps for 15 bucks! Such a wonderful time it was. I realised these little happy moments make life worth living.
Now coming back to today's story, The man was first reluctant to take the balloons and that is quite justified. Why would he take'em when he doesn't need them. But the next moment was he took a huge note( it was some 100 or 500 bucks i clearly did not notice) out of his sleek black wallet and shoved into the little kid's hands to get rid of him.
How I wished he would tell him politely that he didn't need one or may be scold him for being nagging. But the incident that happened today really broke my heart. It again showed that when a man reaches success he becomes arrogant.
The poverty stricken child took the money instantly and slid it into his shirt's pocket but he lacked the bright smile which would have spread over his face had the man taken a balloon with a mere 15 bucks. May be somewhere the little kid's self-respect was hurt today and not only today but may be a lot number of times his little self-respect has been injured by the like-minded people of the 'elite-class'. And as he grows up, probably a day will come when there will no-more of the self -esteem left in him. It will be buried deep beneath the layers of hunger, illiteracy and arrogance of the "higher-class".
I feel deep pain to see a huge -quota of our wonderful tomorrow going astray and we all are contributing to this.
And the questions ramble my mind?
Is this what we become rich for? Do these branded clothed people never have a heart? Why the number of morally good people diminishing at G.P rate?
And these questions make me even more determined to be achieve the best in life. To see whether I become the same after achieving the peak ( and I know I'll not) and if I still continue to be this me then to bring about atleast some change to the world for good. With this broken heart but ever- shining hope I wish to be triumphant, to have a branded heart, I wish to be infinite !
And that doesn't mean I don't like to dream big. I do have my own goals and aspirations. And some places in Kolkata really instills the faith of achieving those goals. A few of those places are the Middleton Row and the Park Street Area. Ever since I visited the place (not much time ago) I fell in love with it. It is one of the richest areas of the city with all big offices, famous restaurants, the church, the haunted cemetery and my favourite The Oxford Bookstore-where I love to spend hours reading books while sipping my Afogato drink. The place always invigorates me to see huge dreams of being really successful in life.
But this afternoon was a bit different. I was walking past Peter Cat towards Au Bon Pain when I saw a young man with steel colored suit, branded sunglasses and shoes and two guards accompanying him. The first sight was awesome as he walked through the street but that followed a small kid who was selling balloons eagerly following this man to sell his goods.
I still remember the very first day I visited park street with my sister in the Christmas eve and we were taking selfies on the well lit pavement in front of Au Bon Pain when a little girl came to us for selling balloons and kept on requesting us to buy one. We finally gave in and took one. Later on she clicked a nice photo of me and didi and I took a selfie with her. I also clicked a snap with the kid wearing disco-goggles(goggles with l.e.d lights) who was selling Christmas caps for 15 bucks! Such a wonderful time it was. I realised these little happy moments make life worth living.
Now coming back to today's story, The man was first reluctant to take the balloons and that is quite justified. Why would he take'em when he doesn't need them. But the next moment was he took a huge note( it was some 100 or 500 bucks i clearly did not notice) out of his sleek black wallet and shoved into the little kid's hands to get rid of him.
How I wished he would tell him politely that he didn't need one or may be scold him for being nagging. But the incident that happened today really broke my heart. It again showed that when a man reaches success he becomes arrogant.
The poverty stricken child took the money instantly and slid it into his shirt's pocket but he lacked the bright smile which would have spread over his face had the man taken a balloon with a mere 15 bucks. May be somewhere the little kid's self-respect was hurt today and not only today but may be a lot number of times his little self-respect has been injured by the like-minded people of the 'elite-class'. And as he grows up, probably a day will come when there will no-more of the self -esteem left in him. It will be buried deep beneath the layers of hunger, illiteracy and arrogance of the "higher-class".
I feel deep pain to see a huge -quota of our wonderful tomorrow going astray and we all are contributing to this.
And the questions ramble my mind?
Is this what we become rich for? Do these branded clothed people never have a heart? Why the number of morally good people diminishing at G.P rate?
And these questions make me even more determined to be achieve the best in life. To see whether I become the same after achieving the peak ( and I know I'll not) and if I still continue to be this me then to bring about atleast some change to the world for good. With this broken heart but ever- shining hope I wish to be triumphant, to have a branded heart, I wish to be infinite !
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| the li'l girl and me on the christmas eve! |
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