#Real incident
I was walking swiftly on that dimly lit deserted road. The salty Chennai breeze swept my face not helping my case of perspiration from carrying my travel bag which only got heavier with each second or every step I took. Already irritated by the bumpy ride and the filthy share auto crowd, I strode on hoping to make it in time for my train.
A distant street light from main road flickered casting its feeble light making the street glow in a mild yellow shade. It is uncommon for a Chennai street to appear this deserted on an 8p.m. night, but this street served as an exception mainly because of the inaccessibility of it by any four wheeler and not so uncommon power cuts . Pushing away the scenes from a previous nights’ horror movie, I valiantly marched on towards the main road carefully jumping and avoiding the numerous potholes and other kinds of holes that pockmarked the street.
I heard a faint set of footsteps and looked ahead to see a middle aged man with striped shirts and cargo trousers entering my road with a carry bag in his hand. Busy talking with someone over his phone he didn’t notice me and he continued walking ahead. I was trailing a few yards behind owing mostly to my bag’s weight. Suddenly a shuffling movement from under a tree caught my attention.
I hadn’t noticed that tree until then mainly because it was on a particularly dark side of that street. But now three figures emerged from under it. Silhouetted against the street light I could see 4 figures now. The man with the carry bag, following him closely were two short lean shadows. Following slightly behind was a slightly taller but stumpy man with shocking mess of a ragged hair.
The shadows of the short ones looked excited almost maniacal with a kind of restless energy that even the poor lighting couldn’t veil. They moved fast towards the man but stopped short when he slowed; again speeding up when he walked. The stumpy shadow seemed like shushing the shorter ones and walked in a controlled steady rhythm. They were silently closing in on the man who was still chatting away nonchalantly in his phone.
My heart beats raced and I fastened my steps to warn him. At that exact moment the man with the bag seemed to slow down at a corner. The short ones went too close to him and they didn’t stop this time. The stumpy one quickened his pace as well. I broke into a run ignoring the weight of my travel bag. Just when I reached close enough to shout a warning, the man with the carry bag turned and walked away from the corner.
Confused and out of breath from running I tried to get a better look at the corner and abruptly power came on and lit up the whole street. The short lean ones were a girl and a boy of about 7 to 10 years each. They had a filthy piece of clothing covering them, torn and dirty. Their faces were covered with a mixture of mud, soot and nasal mucus. They were reduced to their bones by malnourishment. They had the carry bag that seconds before was with the man they followed. Having taken it out of the corporation waste disposal container from that corner, they were searching for anything remotely edible.
“Appa ithula konjo idly irukuppa, Amma kitta sollunga”(Dad, Tell mom that there are some idlies in here), shouted the girl in joy having found her prize in that fly infested, rotten smelling, urine soaked container. “Seri Seri neenga rendu paerum sanda podaama sapdunga”(Ok Ok, You two share and eat without fighting) replied the stumpy man who reached there finally. He turned slowly towards me and smiled awkwardly showing his brown tobacco greased teeth with two missing in the front. I, for my part, just stood there dumbstruck at the horror and misery an everyday street light can unveil.
