one evening....

I was about to cross the road, suddenly someone tugged my dupatta. The 1st thing that came to my mind, must be some eveteaser- turned angrily to face a woman with a little baby in her hand. She was dressed extremely shabbily-saree was tattered-weather beaten face, the baby was sleeping -must have been of about 6 months or so.She asked me if i can understand hindi- I nodded . She began speaking- could barely control her tears while she spoke. She had come to the city with her husband, who apparently had got a job in a glass factory. Her husband made her wait in a park bench and went to buy some milk for the child- he did not return-it had been 2 hours since then-he had all their luggage as well. She had been wandering about trying to look for him since then.By the time she finished her story she was sobbing loudly. Clearly situation demanded that I help her-I could not leave a young village woman with no money and a small baby to fend for herself in a big city full of strangers . The first thought that came to my mind was that the baby and the mother would be hungry-I opened my purse - meagre 50 Rs lying unassumingly in a corner- Damn this ATM and card dependence- I have stopped carrying cash in large quantities -and this was too less- never-the-less i gave it to her-she took it gratefully with lots of murmurings of blessings, though the expectant look remained on her face- means a little more money would me most welcome and I couldnt agree with her more.But the nearest ATM was easily 2 kms away. And it was important to look for her husband- so I suggested Police Station- immediately she started sobbing again -saying that she hasnt done anything wrong to deserve being taken to a police station. Some people walking by began to give me strange looks-so loud were her tears. I had to explain her in my english mixed hindi that we need police's help to look for her husband, also they would be able to provide her with shelter for the night. Her sobbing would not stop-she said she would wait in the park for her husband else would go back to their village by the next bus. Her resistance was so high that I thought it better not to trouble her. Took a piece of paper and gave her my address and telephone number and asked her to contact me(though I was not sure how she would do this being illiterate) .Also advised her to go to the nearest police station for help. She thanked me and walked away. I crossed the road and walked back home. Spent a sleepless night wondering what should have been the correct thing for me to do. I kept reproaching myself for having turned away and walked back home, I was feeling extremly guilty. I kept worrying about the same thing even @ work. On my way back, while doing some window shopping-a familiar voice caught my attention-Imagine my surprise when I saw the same woman with the same saree with a different baby in her arms -she was talking to a elderly couple about 30 mts away from me-I wnt closer to them to evesdrop on their conversation. She was repeating the same story again to them- and from the sympathetic noises they were making-it seemed very likely that this time she would get more than Rs 50. I walked away feeling very sad-it seemed such a desperate move for an individual to play such a trick in the same locality every day-hunger makes a person so desperate!!! The last thought that came to my mind before sleeping that night was- does she even know the gender of the baby(s) that she carries with her to work everyday??