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A Brother's Story By Vanita Srivastava, innervoice@hindustantimes.com

LET'S SHOW our love while we can, while people need us. That is something I learnt from an incident in Bhopal. I saw a little boy daily near the Hanuman temple, always in a white tee and black pants, with a small Hanuman pendant around his neck. He sat with a basket of fresh floral garlands. Be it at six in the morning or nine at night, he would try his very hardest to sell his wares. I was a frequent temple goer and each time the boy would beg me earnestly to buy a garland. But somehow I never did. Even when I came out, he would follow me to my car, begging me to buy one at least. Other boys sold flowers too, but none as persistently as he. I went back to the temple recently after a gap of some months. The boy was there, seated exactly as before. I tried to avoid his gaze, assuming that he would follow me. But he did not budge. I went inside the temple and came back. But the boy made no effort to sell his garlands. I thought he was angry or just showing his own self-respect. I suddenly missed the communication. I always had with this unknown boy and went to him. He looked at me but did not speak. This was strange. I gathered courage and asked: "Bhaiya, why are you not asking me to buy your garlands?" He said, "Didi, why should I ask? You are rich but you can't spend five rupees on my garland. Anyway now I am not so desperate. My sister was suffering from cancer and I had to work for her medicines. My father had left us. My mother makes the garlands and I sell them. We used the money for my sister's medicines. She passed away two months ago. You can now take one for free." I bought them all. But I felt so small. I still repent that I did not respond then when he tried so hard.

Dear Meera,

It was really touching one. We do things unknowingly and start repenting on that.

Padma

Dear Meera,

It was really touching one.