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The Old Man
I was lying on the bed, mumering something god knows. I was indeed enjoying the good night sleep as I can enjoy it only on some rare Sundays. Suddenly, my mother came inside and shouted like a deafening siren "It's a holiday! Donkey wake up" I looked at the clock with my half closed eyes "It's only 6, Mummy" "Whatever! Go to the temple"
I bathed, wore my new Kurta and went to the temple. My mother had gave me ₹500 for buying sweets, offering money to God, etc.
When I was just going to enter the temple, I tripped on something, maybe someone. I was feeling mortified to see it was a old man sitting on the floor. I apologized him but didn't go because his eyes were telling something. "What happened, do you need something?" "Can you provide me with some food to eat, or some money, Son?"
I was in great trouble. I had two choices : Either buy him some food and donate some money or offer it to God. But without even thinking a minute, I decided to give my mother's money to him. I knew, I was going to get a lecture for 5 hours but still... ah...
There was some street food, I could see that but I tried to find something healthy and nutritious. After searching 20 minutes, I found something perfect : A ₹100 full healthy food plate. The rest of the ₹400? Umm..actually.. I decided to give that also to the old man. Now I know I sound foolish but the shine of his eyes I saw after giving him ₹100 was something to motivate me to donate even more.
I sat beside him and asked what he was doing on the entrance of the temple instead of the porch of a house, he answered "I have two sons, one daughter but non accepted me. They all are working but are too poor to feed a old man who is not going to live more than a year"
His words broke my heart into the 400 pieces I had gave him. Sadly, I came back without offering anything to God. My mother was mad. She said "Do this 'charity' with your money! Charity is done for ₹50 - 100 maximum. I had sent you to worship God not to do donation with someone else's money"
But my mind was somewhere else.
After a month, my mother asked me to go again and pray to God properly this time. With only intentional ₹200, I entered the temple and scanned the entrance. No old man was there. I was unhappy.
Suddenly, a thought crossed my mind "What if the old man was not that poor and lied to me for money?" I was feeling betrayed. I rushed towards a person and asked him about the man.
The person, after thinking a minute, answered "Umm... that old begger, right?.. hmm.. Actually that person had died 2 weeks ago itself. Even I got to know that day before yesterday"
© Apeksha
I bathed, wore my new Kurta and went to the temple. My mother had gave me ₹500 for buying sweets, offering money to God, etc.
When I was just going to enter the temple, I tripped on something, maybe someone. I was feeling mortified to see it was a old man sitting on the floor. I apologized him but didn't go because his eyes were telling something. "What happened, do you need something?" "Can you provide me with some food to eat, or some money, Son?"
I was in great trouble. I had two choices : Either buy him some food and donate some money or offer it to God. But without even thinking a minute, I decided to give my mother's money to him. I knew, I was going to get a lecture for 5 hours but still... ah...
There was some street food, I could see that but I tried to find something healthy and nutritious. After searching 20 minutes, I found something perfect : A ₹100 full healthy food plate. The rest of the ₹400? Umm..actually.. I decided to give that also to the old man. Now I know I sound foolish but the shine of his eyes I saw after giving him ₹100 was something to motivate me to donate even more.
I sat beside him and asked what he was doing on the entrance of the temple instead of the porch of a house, he answered "I have two sons, one daughter but non accepted me. They all are working but are too poor to feed a old man who is not going to live more than a year"
His words broke my heart into the 400 pieces I had gave him. Sadly, I came back without offering anything to God. My mother was mad. She said "Do this 'charity' with your money! Charity is done for ₹50 - 100 maximum. I had sent you to worship God not to do donation with someone else's money"
But my mind was somewhere else.
After a month, my mother asked me to go again and pray to God properly this time. With only intentional ₹200, I entered the temple and scanned the entrance. No old man was there. I was unhappy.
Suddenly, a thought crossed my mind "What if the old man was not that poor and lied to me for money?" I was feeling betrayed. I rushed towards a person and asked him about the man.
The person, after thinking a minute, answered "Umm... that old begger, right?.. hmm.. Actually that person had died 2 weeks ago itself. Even I got to know that day before yesterday"
© Apeksha
