It was a cold evening of December.
After sunset the temperature was falling down each day. I was standing in the
balcony of my house, enjoying a cut of hot tea in the cold winter. Down in the
society’s children play area it was too noisy. Kids ranging from 1 year to 12
years were enjoying various games. Some were just having fun running around the
place after each other. Some were playing with ball. Some were on swing and
slide. Their moms were busy in chitchat. All were dressed nicely for the
special occasion of birthday of a 10 year old kid. The whole area was decorated
with balloons, ribbons, etc.
Just a few feet away from the
play area, next to the compound wall of the society, there was an under
construction building. Workers were slogging even after the sunset. Besides the
building area there was a heap of sand on which a bunch of kids of the workers
was sitting. Their eyes were gazing at the kids in our society area who were of
the same age as theirs.
What these kids might be thinking? Are the comparing their half torn
cloths with those of the other kids? Is the variety of delicious foods arranged
over the tables tempting them? Will they even get any food to fill their
stomach tonight? What kind of separation is being created by the 4 feet
compound wall between the next generations of our society? Will these kids even
be knowing when and where they were born? Is this the kind of world expected by
the creator? Definitely not!
While my mind was busy with all
these questions, one more boy came running from the other side towards the heap
of the sand. He had something wrapped in a newspaper in his hand. From some
distance he picked up a small stone and threw it on the log of one of the kid
sitting on the heap. All the kids sitting there were distracted and ran towards
the boy who had just arrived. It was feast time! Bread and something that he
had brought was finished in moments. All of those kids started running and
playing with stones or piece of wood or whatever they found near the heap of
sand.
At least at that moment it was
difficult to distinguish between the happiness on the faces of kids on the
either sides of the compound wall…
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