The lost heart

 

It was a hot Sunday afternoon in Mumbai. I was somehow managing to keep myself from sticking to my T-shirt and then to the seat in my car. ‘Humidity’ was kind of an understatement for water that was magically appearing on my skin. The blow of air-condition did not dare to cool off the angry sun peeking through my windscreen. I started worrying about the tan that was going to show off on my skin. I was trying my best to enjoy this ‘relaxing’ sunbathing and hot sauna of my car.

I stopped the car at a signal and started adjusting the AC when my eyes fell on the road divider next to me. My heart stopped.

A little boy, same age as my son, was sitting on the divider. His body was frail and dark, shoulders sinking and eyes lost in the eternal traffic ahead of him. The hot blistering sun seemed to make absolutely no difference to him. My struggle to cool off in my AC car seemed extremely futile.

I kept looking at him and then he suddenly looked back. His dark black eyes pierced through me and then almost like a download from Internet, his feelings just got downloaded in me.

His despair, pain, hunger, resentment of life but still a strong itch to do something, his little glimmer of hope – all of it was right there in front of me. His heart slowly unfolding like it was part of me.

He did not speak a single word but kept his stare locked on me. There was no begging, no crying, no helplessness. The eyes of the little boy seemed to understand something that I could not.

Unconsciously, I searched the pockets of my handbag and took out a packet of biscuit, lowered the window of my car and extended the pack to him.

His eyes did not move for a good few seconds.  It was almost as if he was judging me for  my worthiness. His frail small body still radiating an energy of strength that I could not fathom.

And then it happened. The inhibition that had hold us apart for so long broke at that moment and then I saw a biggest twinkle I could have ever witnessed in the human eye.

The myriad of emotions floating on the surface of his persona just vanished and it was replaced by only one pure, strong force – love.

The little hungry kid gave me the biggest smile and my heart cried out in pain and joy.

He grabbed the pack and started opening to eat.

And then I suddenly found something that was long lost to me. 

I never knew that a simple act of this kind could re-introduce me to my lost treasure- my beautiful heart!

I found my mine in the effort of helping his.

The boy, did not even have to say a word to make me understand what was missing in my life. The moment he bestowed me with his magical smile, he blessed me with passion, love and honesty with my true self.

What I earned by giving away a packet of biscuit was unparalleled.

The  traffic signal turned green and I heard the usual honking behind me. I smiled the biggest smile I could ever garner back at my new guiding angel, who was stuffing himself with his treat and sped off in the beautiful heat that engulfed me.