Moral Short Story – The Girl with a Golden Ring
Photo credit: lisasolonynko from morguefile.com
It was a gloomy Friday morning with no signs of sunlight in my bedroom.The chill from my AC still remained even after three hours from when it stopped . It was around half past eight when My alarm made a weird noise which sounded like first bell back in my school. I noticed all my friends went to gym,to make a futile attempt to burn calories. I felt restless and closed my eyes snoozing my alarm .But the thought that I have to leave early from office that day to catch a train to Hyderabad gave me instant energy to nudge myself out of bed.
I Was ready for office with in next forty minutes .I picked my bike to start to office .It was around 10.30 by the time I reached office.For Many of my team mates half of the Friday is over and they are very close to so called Weekend. Nevertheless,It was my usual time to start work.I realized I am left with 5 to 6 hours before I leave office to catch a train to Hyderabad.
I finished my work with a swift pace. As it was Friday It was more of reporting work, filling cells in EXCEL. That is the only time I regret for not being a school dropout ,so that I wouldn’t have been an engineer in this company. I wonder What my parents think I Am doing in Office!! I gathered some courage to let my manager know I am leaving early. I knew he would be OK as long as the EXCELs are filled with out any cells left in between.
I was waiting for the watch to show half past three ,It was more like a Olympic runner waiting for the bullet to trigger out of Pistol. Finally its 3:30, I had to park my bike back in my apartment nearby and get to the nearest local railway station, Paranur. It is about one and half an hour journey from there to the Chennai central Railway station.It passes about 10 to 12 local stations before it reaches there.It seems like the train is running all through the entire state of Tamil Nadu.
I managed to fight for a seat and I won .I was travelling alone to Hyderabad this time without my friends .This journey to Chennai central station from Paranur was a challenge for me, more than the journey to Hyderabad attributing to the boredom. I pulled my earphones to listen so some songs ,those I dumped in my phone long back. Eventually I gave up cursing my taste of Music. The train was filled with typical South Indian faces.I wondered if mine is one such faces.
The train has crossed 3 to 4 stations then came the Potheri station ,where the SRM university is actually located.I Anticipated guys of my age group to get in ,to my luck there were people younger to me studying B.Tech,Bsc. They were in groups of 4 to 5 with one or two girls in each group. Suddenly I realized I was once like that ,and I was sure they would not agree that I belong to their age group.This out of college feeling added fuel to the frustration I carried from office while I left .
Abruptly, A little girl beckoning ,caught my attention .She must be just about 5 years.The girl had a shabby attire with no good hair and torn dress.Asking people for money.I reckon she has no Idea what a rupee is worth of and how much actually is needed to fill her stomach and complete a day.She was directed by her mother sitting a bit distant from her on floor in the train .
The Girl had a metal ring with her with a diameter less than that of her waist.She made herself go through the ring to attract people and there by earn some coins.She twisted herself to pass through the ring and after every performance she went to people around in the train to ask money .But she had no Idea that hardly anybody had any interest in her show.But she dint give up!!.she Executed Somersaults,She rolled the ring around her waist .she looked very tired ,had no energy to do it anymore. She does this in every compartment getting down at every station with her mother and getting into the next compartment and performing there and so on.
She came to the seat Where I sat.The guy beside me was busy playing with his touch enabled gadget.The girl came to him and with a sense of amusement, attempted to touch the screen of the phone .The guy grabbed the gadget out of her and his face turned red .She had no idea what it was and made one more attempt to touch it.This time his hand went up to threaten her.
I was outraged by his act.But said nothing as I dint want to involve in any brawl or altercation.I gestured her to come to me and took out a pack of biscuits I brought for my journey and gave her.She looked at her mother not knowing what the packet is all about.Her mother nodded as a sign of permission to take the packet.My pack of biscuits dint attract her as much as the electronic gadget.
She moved away but her desire to touch it still made her look at the gadget while she made a move.She continued to play with the ring and eventually enervated.She dint stop doing it .she looked at her mother for her permission to rest for sometime,but her mother ignored.Meanwhile the train stopped at Egmore the last stop before Park station ,where I have to get down to go to Majestic Madras Central Station.
The Madras local trains are known for the mobs at the entrance of the compartment,no matter the train is crowded inside or not. The Little girl and her mother wanted to get down at the Egmore station to get into the next compartment. The crowd at the entrance of the compartment dint make their way out easy.The little one had no energy to push the giants at the entrance.The mother caught one hand of her and hurried to get down.
I was tensed to see this and worried if they can make it to the next compartment .I got up to see from window ,if they actually made .Train started .I was not sure if they got into the next compartment ,but I prayed for it.With in next 10 minutes train reached the park station.I got down there ,to take the subway to reach the Madras Central Station from where my train to Hyderabad starts.As I got down there I saw the kid and her mother getting down from the next compartment to get into another compartment. I noticed that the child had the biscuit packet opened in one hand made sure it does not goes off her hand and running behind her mother.My eyes became wet ,the train moved!!
I walked towards the subway but The scene dint go off my brain .I wondered why god gives so much to some people and they don’t realize the worth of it and so mere to some others!! I questioned my self as to why a little girl at a tender age of 5 should struggle so much to make both ends meet.I realized god gave us so much, yet we complain that our lives are not a master pieces.Yes ,if a little girl is doing so much to keep herself in the race in spite of the mere resources she has in life ,we definitely owe a lot to god for all that he gave.And to that girl that ring is like a golden ring as it keeps her in the race of life.
This girl is God’s opinion that life should go on , I told to myself and left!!
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