A New Beginning

The morning sun filled the town with its radiant brightness. The town became busy with its bustling sounds of automobiles and trains. The crowded train pulled into the platform and hoards of passengers squeezed inside, and within minutes, the train whistled its way out of the platform.

Close from the platform from where the train just departed, a little boy, about 8 years old, in his loose outfits, stands gazing at the busy traffic inside the station. His eyes are red with sleeplessness and his body, weak to even walk a few yards, trembles with fear. He has eyed something in close distance and walks towards his destination. Just then, a tea vendor passes by, almost knocking down the boy, but ends up dropping his tea can and the glasses. It doesn't take much time for the tea vendor to bring the boy back to reality as he shrieks out aloud almost scaring the poor creature.

The boy, suddenly shaken, looks up at the vendor, who is furious at him for bringing his morning business to a standstill. He pulls the boy by his collar, demanding explanation. The boy, almost frightened, tries to free himself from the clutches of the vendor. Once free, he begins running to his destination. The tea vendor realizing the predicament, drags the boy away from the platform to a safe place. Just then, an express train buzzes through the platform with a loud siren.

The vendor is shocked and comforts the sobbing boy who is almost in a dizzy state. The vendor realizes that the boy has not eaten anything and buys him bread and tea from the nearby railway canteen stall. The hungry boy gulps down the food and looks up at the vendor with a faint smile. He feels satiated with the food and quenches his thirst with the tea. He apologizes to the vendor for spoiling his day and sobs. The boy had been starving for the past few days and wanted to put an end to his misery. Neither did he have a family nor a job to take care of himself. At such a small age, the little kid had decided to end his life. The vendor moved by the boy's story takes him by his hand and walks out of the station.

Next day, the busy train pulls into the station and as it whistles its way out of the platform, the little boy, now a tea vendor sells tea in the station and feels proud of being alive and thanks the Almightly for rewriting his fate.

PS: Writing inspired from Mira Nair's "Salaam Bombay"