“Azad” A little
fellow replied with a pride and raising his head.
One fine morning
this boy appeared in lobby of our office with a black cloth bag in his hand. He
was wearying very old dirty white shirt and black dusty pant and no shoes. Such
appearance is very usual in Government offices so it didn’t wonder me much. I
was in a bit hurry though stopped there to talk with him because I sensed
something different with this boy.
“Azad, why do
you polish shoes?” I began with the best conversation starter question.
“Because that’s
the only thing I do the best” a very plain and simple answer by him.
“But don’t you
think it’s a rubbish work? I questioned.
He just shook
his hand in reply. I might dishearten him by asking such a question.
“Now, can I
polish your shoes, sir? He asked me.
“No, No, it’s
just fine. My shoes don’t deserve to be polished at all” I pointed towards my
dirty black formal shoes.
“Please Sir, let me do it. I polish the best
in the town. You can see your face on the toe of shoes and comb your hair” He
pleaded.
We both laugh a
loud out at comment “combing your hair”.
“See, I don’t
want my shoes to be polished right now. Sometimes I polish them at my own. So I
really don’t need and you can go now; its office time here” I explained him.
“Please sir, my
polish is at very affordable rate. I’ll just charge only 5 Rs.” He said and
tried to make his face more innocent this time.
“Do you take 5
Rs. for both shoes or for just one?” I
asked.
He thought a
little bit then smiled and said. “For you, both in 5 Rs.”
“Oh discount for
me! Why is it so?” I asked curiously.
“At least I
would earn 5 Rs. instead of nothing so compromise.” He replied.
“That’s true but
I won’t let you shine my shoes.”
“Sir, Please. I
offered you discount even. It costs only 5 Rs. what’s a big deal?” He almost
screamed.
“What will you
do with the money? Why are you so desperate to earn? Where will you spend it? I
asked furiously.
“I want to buy
an eraser” He replied while lowering his face this time.
That made me
silent. “So you’re polishing others shoes just to buy an eraser, right?”
“To buy pencils
for my brother also” he said.
“In what
standard are you studying? I asked.
“In 6th
standard, at Nalanda High School” He pointed towards direction of his school.
“Oh! That’s
really fine school in the town. So what was your result of 5 thStandard?”
He looked
towards the sky to find the answer. “I don’t remember exactly but it was
something 78.35 or 78.37 percentage”
“That means
you’re clever boy”
He smiled and
nodded shyly.
“Spell your
name”
“A…Z..A..D..” he
spoke without thinking or blinking.
“Now spell my
name”
“But first tell
me your name, Sir”
“Oh yes! It’s
Pratik”
He thought for a
while and spoke.
“well…P…A…T…E…E…K…”
“No, it’s wrong.
Try Again.”
“Hmm….P..A..R..T..I..K..”
“Almost there
but incorrect”
He gave up an
attempt after blinking his eyes 12 times.
“It’s a
difficult name to spell, from where did you get it?”
“I got it from
my aunt. It’s not difficult boy, you just misplaced A and R. Do some practice
at home.”
“Okay Sure, Can
I polish your shoes now?” Again he came back to the main point.
“Look, I am
giving you all the money. Go and just buy eraser, pencils and required stuffs.
You don’t need to polish my shoes or anyone else’s.”
“It’s a wrong
way sir. I must polish your shoes then accept money. If you wouldn’t allow then
someone else would and at the end of the day I would have enough money to buy
everything I want”
He was right.
One must work to earn something. But It doesn’t make me feel good if I let a
child to work for earning. I asked whether his parents forced him to do this
work but he refused. At that moment a thought born in my mind. He wanted to
earn few rupeesby doing some work to fulfil his requirements and it was
resembling incident of Mr.A.P.J. Abdul Kalam’s childhood scenario of selling
newspaper on bicycle. I let him polish
my shoes. During that I asked him few things and came to know some interesting
facts affecting on lower middle class family children.
“Azad, What do
you want to become in your life?”
“Sir, I want to
become police officer or a Leader” I expected words “like Engineer or Doctor”.
“That’s
something nice. Why do you want to be one?”
“My father says
that, in this country, they earn big money very easily more than anyone else”
That’s a real
irony and we both laughed ironically.
“So what your
father do?”
“He is a small
mason and work here and there. He doesn’t earn much so I work sometimes in
vacations. It’s quite interesting work you know! I enjoy”
“Do you have any
brother or sister?
“One younger
brother and one elder sister. They both are clever like me.”
“See, we can do
something. Why don’t you come here in the evening after school? I’ll teach you
how to spell and other thing you don’t know.”
He looked
towards me in amazement and I understood a question which just popped up in his
mind.
“Oh don’t worry
I won’t take any fees from you Azad. You can also bring your brother and sister
along with you. We will sit and learn and enjoy.”
“Sure, I’ll tell
them. So here it is; your shoes. See the difference and comb your hair. Didn’t
I tell you I polish the best?” He said proudly.
“You did really
fantastic job!” I appreciated and gave him 10 Rs.
“Sir, please
give change. You’re the first customer today so I don’t have change”
“You can keep
the change, I don’t need it back. But don’t you dare to spend it anywhere else.
Just buy eraser and pencil.”
“No Sir, I can’t
keep change like that. You wait here I am just coming back with change”
“Azad, just
polish my shoes next time in free. Now is it fine with you?”
“Okay! For sure.
Thank you. I am going now”
“Sure, Good bye
and don’t forget to come in the evening, I’ll wait for you” I waved finally.
Azad didn’t show
up. I waited very eagerly in the evenings for few days, for few months, but he
didn’t show up. I didn’t know his address so I can go and meet him. I remained
consumed in his thoughts for few days and then my daily overloaded government
work almost overlapped his memory. That boy was having something inside him. He
never fumbled in answering, he never changed his thought, he never thought of
what kind of work he do, he was obstinate about his ethics, he wanted so
clearly to become corrupted officer to earn money, he took respectfully his
money after working not before, he said about his father’s earning without
hesitation, he convinced me without showing over emotions but with innocence
and he was smart. He was a kid with abilities but with no direction like any
other lower middle class family kid. After few months, I saw him in the market
and waved my hand to him but he didn’t recognize me until I told him about
English learning evenings. He respectfully told me that his father didn’t allow
him even along with brother and sister. His father didn’t trust stranger. His father was right as a father. It happens.
Later on from another shoe polisher kid I came to know that it was like a trend
in his school to work in vacations for earning. Some use those earing in good
ways and some in bad ways. There are always two sides of coin. I remember Azad
some day when I see children like him earning and myself forced me to ask them
where they spend that money. Sometimes I also get the answers like they want to
become a police officer or a leader not to serve country but to earn money. I
laugh at this lame thought but it is what really happening. I wish one day this
will end. One day children of this country don’t have to work to earn. This
would happen when each Azad get direction and prove their name. AZAD.
Believe in your
dreams, Believe in the Magic.
