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??

Headlines

Security Breach at Atomic Plant

Suspected Pak Terrorist killed in Mumbai

Medicos Cops break into scuffle

Domicile not needed for Rajya Sabha MPs says Supreme Court.

Blow to UPA-TRS to quit Alliance

Five beheaded for Withcraft

Pak Cricket Captain accused of Ball Tampering in England Tour

Foiled mid-air Terror Attack cripples UK Airport.

All of the above and more has happened in just one single day.............randomly picked up the headlines from a national daily. The day is getting over for me....
Good Night

Cinema Today

Switch on any television channel and see one of the "k" serials- chances r high that you stumble on a story of a couple getting divorced because the 2 of them are in love with someone else.

Check out some of the latest blockbusters in the hindi cinema genre- Murder, KANK- the storyline boasts of unhappy couples seeking love outside marriage.


Dont get me wrong am not part of the Moral Police Brigade- but I wonder what are our film and serial makers upto- Man-woman relationships have been and remain the most interesting topic for fiction, storytelling and cinema -agreed...But is there any reason to either justify or condemn relationships that do not fit the commonly accepted moulds- say a extramarital affair, a homosexual relationship, a live -in relationship etc etc.....

All of the above happen due to personal choice and there is nothing right or wrong about them- yet our filmmakers insist on putting a solution with someone being "right" and someone being "wrong". Why is getting married -right and getting divorced wrong? Why is being heterosexual right and homosexual wrong? I wonder when, where , how these things were decided.

Gay and lesbian relationships are always portrayed in a comic manner in Hindi Cinema, else there is a explanation given for such behaviour- reasons like abused in childhood hence turning lesbian.

Except for " monsoon weddings" am yet to see a movie dealing with the sensitive and serious topic of child abuse.

Except for "darmiyan" am yet to see a movie on the life and pains of eunuchs.

Show me one movie wherein rape is not shown either in a titilating manner or in a manner designed to make the audience sympathise with the victim- Can someone atleast make one movie wherein a rape victim is shown to bring her life back on tracks without weeping .

Cinema is the mirror of a society it is said-well if that is true then what does it say about ours- the primary task of all people here is to get married and hold elaborate functions for the same???

Terror

I have stayed in Bombay for a short time- a year and a half to be precise- there have been 3 bomb blasts during that time- The mulund bomb blasts, the ghatkoper bomb blasts and the triple blasts at the Gateway of India and Mumba Devi Temple Complex.
That was 1st hand experience with Terror.Subsequently changed locations and life changed for me. Not so for the average Mumbaikars. Eleventh of July brought back their worst memories- the serial blasts in the local trains derailed their lives again.The newspapers and TV Channels went ballistic " breaking news" . The authorities and the Intelligence went to a Blame Game mode and of course promised all help to the common man. And then came the oft repeated " tributes to the resilient spirit of Mumbai" statements. I often wonder what happens after that- a week later, a month later, a year later?? What happens to these people whose life gets disoriented by a disaster as vast as this. How do they bring their tattered lives under control again? One moment you are leading your Life, next moment death, destruction, violence, bloodshed stares u in the face. Some lose lives, some lose limbs, some lose family, some lose sanity, some lose trust .... the list is endless....And then what happens......??? What happens to those people who r victims of Terror perpetrated by someone they do not know, never been associated with them and never knowingly harmed them. What happened to the Hiroshima Nagasaki surviving victims, what happenened to the surviving holocaust victims, what happened to the 9/11 victims , what happened to the Bombay Blast victims....... How do they live life again...how do they restore their trust , their faith in life, how do they start working again.....Where do they get the strength from....I wonder if our maker's Progress Report is to be assessed- Would making the Earth count as a success or a Failure??