Life's Good

Just another day for Santosh. Wandering about the railway platforms and local trains with the burden of huge basket of fruits, hours of bargaining and rushing through the errands, that was all that consumed up Santosh's life. Nothing actually changes except for the increasing number of complaints with the God. Disappointed and grieving with the fate, Santosh got in the last local and placed his baskets and sacks on the floorboard and stood beside the door.

A few moments later, a beggar walked up to the same compartment and sat on the floor beside Santosh's basket. The train took its pace gradually and soon it left the platform. Being the last train for the day, the coach hardly had any passengers except those two. Santosh looking at the distant lights resembling minions in the dark slowly drifted into his unwanted and disturbing perpetual thoughts adding thereby to his list of grievances- 'rent couldn't be paid for this month too, son's school fees still due, still he didn't received his government subsidy bla bla bla!' Suddenly a voice echoed in the vacuum coach. It startled Santosh and brought him back from his notional world.

The beggar was screaming a song at the top of his voice. "Kisi ki muskurahaton pe ho nisaar, kisi ka dard mil sake to le udhar, kisi k waste ho tere dil mein pyaar, jeena issi ka naam hai...."

Santosh couldn't really approved of the scenario. A beggar wearing torn or hardly any clothes, with few coins clattering in his pocket, filthy and messed up, how could he appear so peaceful and contented. "How could you sing being a beggar in this state of yours?" Santosh interrupted his musing.

Obviously, the beggar was annoyed. "Why, is there any rule on the Earth that the beggars cannot sing, or are you going to charge any tax for this?"

"I didn't mean that!" He now hesitated a little," I meant, you have nothing right now, you don't perhaps have anything to eat, you don't know where to go, you don't know where you come from and yet you seem so happy! How?"

The beggar laughed his heart out. Taking a deep breathe he replied,"Because I am happy with whatever I am given. I am happy that I am living this day, I am happy that my four legged cute children shall still be waiting for me to come home and get them their biscuits, I am happy that some people in the world looked at me and gave me pennies out of their fair share, I am happy that I met you and I told you my philosophy, at least someone listened to me.... I am happy for this life man, small things matter. Who wants a long life and luxury with no love and a hollow world. I get compassion and that fulfills my existence..."

Santosh couldn't say anything. He was dumbfounded and happy both at one time to have met the beggar. The one who had nothing taught the biggest philosophy of life to the one who at least had something. He gave the beggar a bunch of bananas and he got down at the next station. And Santosh promised to himself, he isn't going to complain anyone about anything any longer which is missing from his timeline. He too has a lovely family and he was dear to them if not to the entire world....