Short Story- Change in Profession

Change is Profession

I was at the District Bar in District Courts Patiala. Some beggars were daily visitors and I noticed that out all these one she beggar was very obstinate. In spite of telling her that I would not give her alms, she stood there till I actually gave to her something in charity. One day I fixed that she should come on the 1st of each month and I shall give her a sum of rupees five and then during the whole months she should not revisit my booth. She agreed and on each 1st she was very much present before me and as promised I used to give her a sum of rupees five. This continued for so many years.

One day my Mushi was not there. Some papers and other useless things were lying in my booth. I asked her to clean all this and I assured her that instead of a sum of rupees five, she would be having rupees ten from me. But she did not start work on further asking, she said,

-“Sir, we are beggars. We do not work. We beg only. If you can give that sum of rupees five, I am here. If you have stopped, I shall not come to your booth henceforth.” I was totally surprised to note this.

Then I started asking her further question:

-“Where do you live?”

-“We are staying near the railway station.”

-“Have you constructed a Jhugi to live?”

-“No Sir. We are living in the open under the blue sky.”

-“When rain falls, where do you go?”

-“We take shelter under the railway station platform.”

-“Whether the station officer allow you to utilise the space? ”

-“No, they object. But we request them that rain shall stop and we shall be out within minutes.”

- “What is the total strength of your family?”

-“Sir, I have got one husband who is blind and four sons. We have got no daughter.”

I noticed that she was not happy when she has not given birth to a daughter. But I said,

-“Luckily you have no daughter. A daughter is always a burden on parents?”

-“No sir, had we have a daughter that could have brought a very heavy sum of money. Our daughters are always sold.” Asking her more and more questions and obtaining more and more information continued for some time. I offered her a cup of tea and the last question from my side was,

-“ Would you teach your sons the art of begging?”

-“My sons are not ready to beg. They are collecting old iron pieces and one of them is doing boot polish work near the railway station.”

She went away. She was true to her words. I have seen her many times in the Court complex. But she never visited my booth.

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