The Peddler On The Street

The peddler on the street:

She always walked with a tilt and had layers and layers of clashing colored clothes, has a small pot belly, with all her hair looking frenzied with out oil and ragged, tide into a knot, she had colorful pins and flowers over them, the legs were with many anklets funny in shape though not coordinating.
Many beads hung around the neck giving the picture of a gypsy sometime a bandanna on head, with a beedi on her lips to puff away as she did her usual cat walk.

She begged for every thing from every one on that street, got what she wanted as she behaved in a very weird manner, taking an 8”by 3” mirror had it in front of her like she was admiring self but was watching what was going on at the back while she went forward.

Every morning she was back with the same stained smile and jerky looking dilated eyes, none knew where she spent the night, but the prowl started early, she got her regular tea, pan, eats like hot toast, one slice which she dipped into the tea, hardly washing herself, scratching away her unwashed hair, with streaks of grey raising her age issue to the people who saw her.

Her bedding had been safe in the garage where they repaired the latest vehicles at MR. Morgan’s garage who looked more a foreigner with his blue lenses. Some time she begged him for a cigarette which he reluctantly offered and shooed her away threatening to throw her bedding behind..

Rain came with them all the problems of street vendors who depended on the same road, they had some 200 tea shops in a stretch not more than a furlong, and the with the sigris the coal stove, ashes were strewn all over giving the road a grey hue, with the rain water it became even more mushy to walk over, but brisk business went on with so many official buildings all over, the chai wala was in great demand during the rainy and winter season, cigarettes and hot chops made their way to the floors above in many buildings. The kolkata rains lashed unabated not bothered about these creatures.

In the night one could hear this lady being used for other activities, one wondered what men were, don’t they have a taste for something clean using her like a garbage, and going back to their business world. That was her living she made money as she had a little bit of her youth left, then she knew she would be kicked like a dog, and may be get thrown into the ganges as a garbage, as long as the life was within she would have to live this lifestyle as she knew none other.

One day she came all so clean and wonderfully washed spring like hair, and when inquired said one of the bastards wanted her clean so took her to his apartment and gave her camay the soap wonderful from abroad and she was
Delighted still scratching walked away with her layers of materials, no change there…

To day saw her being taken in a police jeep, now what has she done and she looked very slim all of a sudden, then realized it was her pot belly missing, she had a small foot ball filled with drugs, and was caught red handed selling these products, she waved as if a heroine being giving a shot to the viewers and knew she would be back in no time, after all who could feed the poor for a crime that many enjoyed.******Regards sunkan

 

dear veda,
chitra had a friend who used to come here for tution with priya for maths and other subject and her mother was into prostitution, and invariably they expect the daughter to also follow suit, so we came to know what a wonderful personality this girl was and very sad her future is bleak and she used to dote on chitra so much took photographs in a studio both wearing same kind of saree and dancing on the day when they wanted to celebrate teacher's day in our house, we have at least two album book on it with various students dancing to the music, not all the parents understood that they want to be together, still we made the platform for them, psychological upgrading was also in priya's agenda while teaching, now coming back to jyothi, she had invited chitra on her birthday and both had plans for weekend and u know what happened she suddenly met with an accident and died on that day, till date chitra has not recovered from that friendship, one side we were happy that child had no future,but on the other side a wonderful personality who passed away very young hardly 16 and nothing can replace that void in chitra's heart.here i try to tell you some people's fate is written even before they are born....sunkan