Walking on and on…
Coming early to my office today, I was wondering if there was anyway we could sue the municipality, (that too in consumer courts) for laying bad roads. All this because I felt a tinge of pain in my back, while driving. Then I saw this man walking (whom I could overtake in a minute).
Looking from behind, I could see two sticks tied to his shoulder. The sticks were proudly bearing the Indian tricolors, flying over his head. Also to his back was this bag, which you would easily associate with a mountain climber. Tied to the flagsticks, there was this big banner which read something in Hindi.
Having seen him at the first glimpse near a temple, I thought he was selling some toys.
Anyways, I over took him and then I saw him. A man, his face all wrinkled, his back bent forward showing signs of bearing the weight of flags and his baggage. A tired man, bearing Indian flag.
I tried to read what was on the banner. It was all in Hindi and unfortunately my reading ability in Hindi needed constant gaze, but that was impossible as he walked on an uneven road. But I could gather that he has been walking for a distance which is a world record.
As this man came towards me, another man asked him if he needed water. Until then it didn’t strike me that this man was sweating, and no body has asked him if he wanted something. Yet everybody was staring at him. I asked him if he wanted food, he said a no, with his expression, a silent one (an expression that is going to remain in my life for quite sometime).
That was when I had heard some noise…sorry music. It was a marriage party, moving towards the temple. They were walking slowly savoring the attention that was paid to them, and yet not even enjoying the music.
A marriage required attention, a walk didn’t. I still wonder why we spend a few hundred thousand on something as stupid as marriage, rather than on people who need it. No I’m not asking to give it as alms to the poor, just wondering, why do something just because others consider it, a politically correct thing to do rather than the right thing to do.
This man had water, and went his way. I came back to practicality, just like the marriage party. I went to office, though I wanted to talk to this man, asking him why he started walking. I wanted to smoke badly, after a long long time, which I didn’t. I just carried on driving, wondering how long I’m going to walk on like this…walking to be politically correct.