He always had a smile and a tune to hum, wherever i saw him and this made his lovely face even cuter. He looked like a happy soul. About 1 & 1/2 yrs ago, when i first saw him, i said to myself "Where the hell was Child Right Commissioner? He can't be more than 13!!" But today, i had my first conversation with him. He was 18, from Nepal and has been here for 4 years. "Didn't go home for vacation?" i asked, for which he replied,"next month.. have to go....it's been 1 year since father died..and... there is no one else there..the house is locked". His face was too calm, no complains, no regrets, no sorrow..just a statement. All the questions, i wanted to ask got struck in my throat. I desperately tried to hide the sympathy rising in my eyes, by looking away. When he said "pootte..chechi" in his broken malayalam, there was that same smile as always. I nodded and he walked away.
I felt ashamed and selfish. We keep complaining for our small inconveniences, forgetting to be thankful for what we have. We expect people to be like us. May be i would have felt less disturbed, if he replied with some self-pity. But instead he walked way with dignity, he was earning his own living, He didn't need any sympathy. "There is a lesson to be learnt, from every person we meet" I reminded myself.
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