A Beggar lived in a town with his eighteen years old dumb daughter. He begged daily sitting in the courtyard of a temple situated in the town’s market. He was a handicapped. He uses to reach the temple early morning so that no other beggar could take his place. In the same town, a trader who was the owner of a jewelry shop also came daily to the temple to pray before opening his shop. The trader met daily with the beggar in a normal way. He paid the beggar a rupee per day.
Their meeting becomes special one day when the trader was going ahead paying the beggar and the beggar called out him. The trader came to the beggar and asked about the reason to call himself. The beggar said politely taking up some coins in his dirty hand; “Sir, you have given me more today than as usual. I called you back to return your rest money.”
On that day the trader was very happy. “Baba, today, I became happy to pray as never been before. Thus, you keep it all.” The trader said with a smile.
“No Sir. Blessings of God are my interest. And by the way, your worship is not completed yet”. The Beggar said pointing out an oblation pit.
He added that he had forgotten to fumigate which his daily routine.The trader stands up quickly and searched his pocket for small change but failed. His petty cash had finished. Then he peeped towards the beggar. Still, his remaining coins were shining on the beggar’s palm. He picked up the coins and bought incense burner and offered to the idols. The trader thanked the beggar and went away. Now the trader started to spend some time with the beggar. An affinity had been created between them.
Similarly, many days passed by. Now, the trader could not meet with the beggar. He did not present continuously. One day the trader noticed another young but handicapped beggar had been lay hold of the old beggar’s place. He could not get the situation. He just followed his daily routine and rode away. He felt that their intimacy could break but what he could do for their meeting?
One day the trader’s wife wished for travel her family. The trader fixed the program on next Sunday. Early morning on Sunday the trader and his family came into the temple to pray. The trader did not find the old beggar at his place. Someone else was there and doing same act as the old beggar did. His eyes looked for the old beggar couple of minutes but failed. His wife noticed the trader was in a fix. Any problem? The trader’s wife asked to him. Nothing, let’s go. He said and left the place.
They set off their excursion. Completing some distance they crossed a square. All of sudden the trader’s eyes came into view the old beggar. He stopped his car in no time. Now his wife confused to see her husband act. The trader went quickly to the old beggar who was begging sitting at that square. His family followed him. The trader asked humbly to the old beggar;
“Why are you not coming to the temple for many days Baba? Where were you? And another beggar sits at your place, who is he? Do you know him?”
The beggar replied innately: I was busy in my daughter’s wedding. So that I was absent those days and the beggar you are watching in the temple is my son-in-law. He asked for my place as ‘Dowry’ and I gifted him. But I am happy to get my daughter’s marriage done at eighteen.
The trader’s heart fills with sympathy and his eyes shed tears.
–END–
