Sleeping under the stars
It was Diwali. And I was brooding over an imagined slight. It was a little past 10 PM and I was walking along the SG Palaya main road - walking briskly, trying to work off the anger. Something I do quite often by the way. 
It was a bit chilly; usual for this time of the year. That's when I noticed what looked like a ball of rags on the side of the road. It was actually a beggar woman sleeping with just her sari drawn over her head to protect her from the cold. I might not have recognized her, except for the fact that I had seen her a couple of times, sitting and begging at that very same spot. On both occasions, I had refused to give her money - something I always do.
I probably have passed by similar homeless folks dozens of times and not given it a second thought. Don't know why, maybe it was the way I was feeling then that made me think. Here I was, with a roof over my head, financially stable, lots of things going for me, yet brooding. And there is this lady, probably old enough to be my grand mother sleeping by the side of a road.
It was past the deadline set by the city police for bursting fire crackers. People paid no heed and were having fun all over that place. Money being burnt for fun and this lady had no place to sleep.
I could take her to my house; nothing stopping me from doing that. But I didn't. I just walked on. On my way back, I took this snap, trying to act like I was read a message on my mobile. I needing have bothered. There was no one watching...
The day after I found her begging and parted with a five rupee note. I knew I hadn't made her life better, hadn't changed a thing, and perhaps should have done better...
-Manoj
