Can You See Me?

This pic on the left reminds me of a woman who was standing in traffic at a signal stop. I was waiting for a bus on the sreets of Dadar, Mumbai. The words as I made out roughly translated was this...

 "Can you see me through the glass? Sahib can you see me? Please for God's sakes look at my only child. I don't have anything to feed my child. My only other child died last month and this is the only thing I have to keep me surviving. Sahib Please give me something to feed my child. I beg you..." 

I couldn't hear the rest as she burst out into tears. There were three members in the car. I made out a couple in the backseat and their driver. The man was looking blankly at the sobbing woman while the wife as it seemed was disgusted with the whole event. From the queue, where I was standing I could make out that she told her husband that these are all drama and that they emotionally blackmail people for business! Business!? I just could not believe myself as to what I saw. I was about to move out of the queue and reach my pocket when the woman walked across on the opposite footpath. The traffic started in the very same fashion I saw tears flow out of her eyes. My bus came and I feel guilty even today. I could have played a part. Somehow I still can not forget her words even though many years have passed since...

© Prasenjit Das 1997-2014

Image Source : The Web