The haunting question

I was having dinner this evening and it so happened that an old man selling his wares came to hawk his items to those present there. He was carrying some packets of biscuits and chips and earnestly pleading with people over there to buy something saying he was out of money for dinner. It was quite clear from his face that he had not eaten properly in a long time.

Sad part was no one in that place including me were willing to buy anything. Mostly out of lack of any necessity and also because of the fear of eating some low quality stuff whose source we are not aware of. That old man was almost in tears. He came to the hotel cashier and begged him to give something to eat. But nothing happened even then. I was eating all this while and watching him doing nothing. Actually I felt nothing all that while. Then while leaving, he looked me sorrowfully in the eye and then looked at my plate and left without a word.

I did not need anything to be told any louder. It struck me then. No man should lose his dignity and self respect over food. Feeling very guilty about the whole thing I wanted to go after him and give him some money to eat. By then he had moved a couple of places ahead and was standing in front of a couple. They were giving him some money. I got to see what they had given him. One rupee. That man was respectfully placing it away. I had the biggest lump in my throat seeing that. What can u get for one rupee these days. In my eye that was the ultimate humiliation to suffer.

I went to him and gave him a 20 rupee note hoping it would be enough for that night's meal. Definitely nothing to help him for life. But it kind of made me feel and ask a lot of questions about life. Why do some people suffer more than the rest? Why are some born the way they are? What is the point of this living? Yes. there is a law of karma. And probably thats what drives everything. But it is one hard fact to digest that while one man makes a killing, the other man is killed trying to earn.