Innocence Again

I go sit beside seashore on Sunday evening after I rob myself. I mean I buy loads of books and cheap cloths shoes and I started hating myself for being addicted to the last two items.

I go towards these venders the way a snake runs towards the charmer. Then I head lazily towards the promenade to see people walking along. It’s the most entertaining and educative experience for me to watch people.

Last Sunday was one such day, but with a difference. I saw a family walking towards me with their cute little baby aged perhaps two to three years of age. As they passed by I noticed that the baby was looking back but being dragged forward by her parents. I was so engrossed looking at her lovely cheeks pink lips twinkling eyes and ignored to look towards the object of her curiosity.

They walked a few feet and sat on the stone bench deeply in debate about something. This little baby still looking back with her eyes wide opened. I followed her gaze and found another girl… an urchin perhaps aged five to six years. Clad in ragged cloths and dirty to look at. She was eating from a half empty bag of popcorn that should have been leftover by some compassionate human. She was walking towards her own path leading nowhere.

I could not quite comprehend the magnetism that’s brewing from the rich little girl’s side. As the urchin girl passed before this little princess she did something that made me gasp.

She ran towards this urchin girl and extended her hand asking for pop corn.

The urchin was too disoriented to react in any way. All those things she learnt in life that were cruelly thrust on her innocence involved only one thing. To extend her own hands before someone to get something… Her eyes discovered for the first time that the hands extended before her are not giving her something but asking for something.

The urchin was still hesitant and the princess was so adamant. Raising her cute little head and with eyes pleading the little princess wanted popcorn from the urchin girl. The urchin girl is blessed with a new wisdom in life. It’s not to receive just but to give back some times. She put her hand inside the bag and pulled out some popcorn and extended her and towards the little hand that was asking for it.

And that is all… hands grabbed that little girl away from the love of urchin girl, as she squealed and squirmed in anger and disappointment. The parents are obviously embarrassed at the courage displayed by their daughter through her innocence.

And the urchin pushed back to her own reality where she adopted her value towards the right side of rejection. Her hand flew back to her mouth stuffing the popcorn that she was about to part willingly.

Those few moments were wonderful to see thoughts, debates, philosophies and doctrines rolled in to one unified event where everything clashed with everything and innocence is miserably pushed back to where it belongs. Pushed back to children… Pushed back to childhood… Pushed back beneath everything that this society, world and reality prioritizes…