It was the day of submission of ph. d. thesis and so obvoiusly for me it was a time for celebration. As a part of tradition, I was suppose to go and buy sweets for the people of my department. So I took a rikasha for kamala nagar market. However, we could not find kaju barfi in any of the shops I knew. So we decided to explore the market for other sweet shops. Meanwhile, I started chatting with him. He asked me...aap kaya kartee ho madam ji. I told that I study in the department and today I have submitted my thesis and therefore, looking for sweets.
He had his further questions like what does thesis means and how would it help me. I said I will get a Ph.D degree. Then he said...aap kei padhai mei ek aur degree jode jayegee.....phir aap ko naukari mil jayegi kaya?......For a moment I was a bit confused what to answer him but then I said...haan mil jayegee.....boosting that education never goes waste....but he was silent....simply listening to me. Probably sitting in a comfortable place, I was in a frame to convey the importance of education to him. Then I started talking about him and was surprised to learn that he was a graduate. Beyond that point there were very few questions for me to ask but there was lot for him to share.....a guy from a very poor family with no land ..from bihar...worked real hard to get himself educated and came to the town with a hope to earn well so that he can take care of his younger brother and rest of his family member.....after a while he said.....teen saal barbaad kiyee madam ji....riksha hei chalana tha to baarve (12th) kei baad hei chal letai...kuch ab tak bacha to leya hota. I did not have any word to say beyond that.......Today he is here...running his rented riksha everyday......taking students around in the campus.....with a hope that he could save enough money. Then he said.....chotte bhai ko bola hai engineering kei tyaree kar.......uske kismat saath de jayee.....kaya pata kuch ban jayee wo....uskee leyee paisee jode raha ho......and Finally we managed to find our sweet shop after struggling for about an hour. - S. V.
The lines it often reminds me....
Dil naa umed to nahiin,
Naakaam hi to hai,
Lambii hai gam kii shaam,
Magar shaam hii to hai
Ye safar, bahut hai kathin magar
Na udaas ho mere hamasafar
ye sitam ki raat hai dhalane ko
hai andheraa gam kaa pighalane ko
zara der is mein lage agar, na udaas …
nahin rahanevali ye mushkilen
ye hain agale mod pe manzilen
meri baat kaa tuu yakiin kar,
kabhii dhund legaa ye karavaan
vo naye zamein nayaa aasamaan
jise dhundhati hai teri najar,
