THE MEANING

Note to the reader:
Dear Sir/Madam, in the nine hundred and odd words that follow this line, "I" doesn't refer to me, the writer, Vikram.S.T. This is some other I. Imagine any common name, Suresh, Ramesh, etc.

It was a hot Wednesday afternoon and I was en-route by train to buy the tickets for a cricket match. I had to get down from the train and withdraw money from an ATM centre a few streets away. The security guard was having his lunch in a cabin inside. It was then that it happened.
On the way out after withdrawing money, I saw the kid . I would not have taken a second look at him but for the state in which he was. He was lying on his stomach under the hot sun. His trousers weren't in a great state. It looked as though he was sleeping but was severely perspiring. The hot sun could have definitely woken up anyone sleeping. I sprinkled some water I had in my bottle and was happy to see the boy's eyes open. He moaned for water. By the time I could get his head on my hand and feed him with water, I felt something crawling over my trouser, and I knew that my wallet was gone. I turned back and saw a black figure moving in jumps away from me. As I tried to retrieve myself in the situation and start running, I heard someone moving behind me. To my shock, I saw the boy running with my mobile phone in his hands.

Only then I realized their plan. The ATM centre being in one corner of the street, gave them enough space and time to get as far as possible. The hot afternoon didn't have any one nearby too. I didn't know whom to chase. Before the security could catch up with me, I had lost track of the pick pocket. He must have known the place well. He crossed fences, jumped across pits whereas I was circumspect as to whether I would make it if I jumped. The guard could only offer his words for solace. I was shown the way to a police station two streets away. After lodging a complaint, the immediate instinct which stuck me was about the credit/debit cards in my wallet. Luckily, I had seen the boy before I placed my card back in the wallet when I came out of the ATM centre.

I inquired about the nearest branch of this reputed bank to request for cancellation of any transactions of my other credit/debit cards, but to adding to my woes, I found the branch closed for the day. My self respect didn't permit to seek alms even for a phone call. I thought I had a way out. I went back to the ATM centre in the hope of withdrawing some money, but the guard informed me that the ATM centre had run out of money, and it would be another three hours before the service is restored.

Cursing my fate, I set out walking to find any other possible ATM centre where my bank's card would be acceptable. I could have waited there, but my brains indicated of another possible ATM centre in the outskirts. But, I was wrong. The search for another favourable ATM centre seemed never ending, and I had walked another 3 kms in an hour before I found one. I looked dead with sweat wetting my dress. It took another ten minutes to walk out of the ATM centre. As I walked towards the nearby Railway station, I was confronted by a police inspector who had been searching me. He said that the boy and his accomplice had been caught and returned my wallet with the money. I was glad, thanked him and boarded the next train. The whole day's incident looked puzzling. Why was I robbed off, made walk kilometres for a few hundreds of rupees and returned my money only a few hours later?

I was lost in thoughts when I saw a group of people gathered in a huddle on the platform. As I got near them, a few of them were walking away. On inquiry, I learnt that a child was injured as she had hit one of those metallic chairs out of momentum when the train had halted to a stop.
To my surprise, I saw only an elder girl sitting there having laid the injured child on her lap. I couldn't classify her language as Hindi or Marathi. The child had been bruised badly and the girl seemed to be scolding someone. It seemed the child and her sister were seeking alms after doing the regular tricks like somersaulting when the train was in motion, forcing their entwined bodies to pass through a steel ring. As the child was getting her plate filled with coins, a 10-rupee note had flown off the plate. The kid, eager to retrieve the money was moving quickly when it happened. When the train screeched to a stop, the child was thrown off balance and hit one of the steel chairs resulting in injuries to her jaw. The elder girl was now whining in a feeble voice accompanied by tears. I found that they were short of money for treatment. I got the girl's jaw attended to and got them their afternoon meal. The girl looked to suffer more from hunger than pain. As I walked back home, I seemed to have found answers for all those questions. If it had not been for the day's incidents, I would not have got the chance to attend to the little girl and her sister.

Now, having told you about my experiences, I feel only one thing.
I deserve at least a “Thanks” from you because intentionally or unintentionally I have saved your wallet. Who knows? Down the years, when you walk into one of the secluded ATM centres, you might be robbed by that girl or her kin for money.
What do you say Sir/Madam?