A day in life of Kale - A short story

It was a busy working evening on the streets of Mumbai. Just outside the Ghatkopar metro station,  a line of people were waiting eagerly to get home after tiring hours of work. And there were some others who might just be getting ready to get started to toil hours for the night. The Bus stand was filled with exhausted feet, hopeful eyes waiting for their sawari to come get them. And buses were obliging in their capacity, taking steep turns just along the corner and stopping right in front of the bus stand but in the middle of the road; blocking off the traffic for just a few minutes and jostling off with equal energy and larger burden of weight upon them tilting heavily to the left side. Then there were shared rickshaws and autowallahs swooping in and buzzing by doing their duties of transporting people from places to places.

Shivram was one among the side of the pavement just outside the gate 2B of the metro station, observing this daily hullabaloo eating his share of fried crispy noodles. He was a fruit seller and the metro station was his usual selling spot. He always ate those crispy noodles from the babulal back of the metro staircases along with other customers of his fraternity. Likes of fruit vendors, vegetable sellers,  second hand clothes cart owners, they all used to take at least one plate from his shift and make shop assembled every evening. 

Shivram watched the passersby intently, answering one or two customers stopping by for the asking price of oranges or apples. He did not like to negotiate for prices while he was snacking. He felt that it was his only time during the day where he could savor some moments of delectable pleasure for himself. Apart from lunch and dinner of course! But yet he felt these few minutes of his day precious and his own. So he ignored most askers while he munched on.

Shivram was a young lad of about 24 supporting his family of 5 with a fruit cart while his elder brother worked as a laborer at a factory near by. Earnings were good enough to pass days peacefully with fair share of Roti, lentils and rice. They got just fine. Living a life of what they defined comfort for themselves. A tattered room with green painted walls and tin roof – an extension created by breaking a wall and covering with cemented bricks to make a kitchen at one end and bathroom at the other. A feminine touch of Aai, his mother, added warmth to their little dwelling.

Shivram was just about to finish his crispy noodles, when he saw Kale, his younger help arriving carrying a bicycle with weighing  machine back in the carrier. Kale was too small to ride a big grown adult bicycle. Shivram was not sure of his age, but he must be around 11-12.  He picked him up from the railway station when he was just 9 and he had ran away from his home from Bihar.

Kale never actually revealed the reason of his run, his family back in Bihar or anything about his past life. He was just sitting blankly for more than 5 hours when Shivram spotted him. Shivram asked  if he needed to eat something and offered him a banana. Learning he has no where to go, pitying him he took  him under his protection and since then has kept him like a family. Kale was equally happy to be rescued by a someone he could call Bhai. Shivram employed him as his help at the vegetable cart teaching him nuances of the business and Kale learned quickly by observing his employer sell vegetables and fruits all day – how to negotiate for price, how to market your “fresh” vegetables and in general how to take life as it comes day by day. He had his on job training and his practical education made him street smart.

At this moment, Kale came gushing to Shivram handing him the bicycle which he was pulling with a lot of effort.

“Arre! Why did you bring the cycle when you can't carry it ??” Shivram shouted at him

“Bhai, I couldn't pull the weight alone” grinned Kale. Shivram just smiled in return to the playful twinkle in Kale's eyes.

“Bhai, leave that. Keep this weight and cycle aside. I have the most exciting news of the day “ Beamed Kale.

“What!”  yawned bored Shivram. What could possibly be exciting enough in the life of a 12 year old child.

“Bhai, I found this stray wallet at the Ghatkopar station lying around. Just on the lower most staircase.”

“Oh!! Any money in it?

“No Money, but lots of cards – bank type cards ...here take a look”

Shivram inspected the wallet like a murder suspect, touching barely minimum and checking the number of cards inside. On closer look, there were 2-3 bank cards, debit and credit and other identity proofs and local train and metro cards. But to Shivram, it was all a big stack of cards and he assumed it was all bank cards.

“Hmnn..no money but lots of card”

“Bhai, what should we do? Should we try ATM?” exclaimed Kale out of excitement

“Saale, Mumbai wala ho gaya tu” chuckled Shivram. (“You have become a Street smart”) “You have found it, you should decide what to do with it!”

“I?? I don't know bhai, thats why I gave it to you. Maybe you can keep the wallet for yourself; it looks expensive and throw out the cards” Giggled Kale at his own idea which sounded ingenious to him.  He seemed to be wonderfully surprised at this thought.

Shivram laughed genuinely at his idea wondering if he really taught him well or he is just grabbing on what he is surrounded by all time of the day… streets of Mumbai where pick -pickpockets, thieves strolled by, people pushing and shoving to get into bus seats, everyone busy and running along and not really caring about each other. He got lost in his thoughts feeling a little remorseful about the up-bringing of Kale.

“Bhai! What you thinking?”

“Kale, As long as we are capable of earning and feeding ourselves, we should never think of stealing someone else's money”. Shivram gruntled a little after hearing this thought coming out of his mouth. Immediately, he corrected himself, “Forget what I just said. We should NEVER steal somebody's money., whatever may be the circumstances. We should always earn by rightful means. Do you understand?”

“But I didn't steal it...I found it lying around. Out of this swarm of people walking by, it was ME who discovered this wallet” Kale raised his voice a little, disappointed at being the receiving end of a moral lecture.

“Yes you did nothing wrong here. Its what you are about to do may set a bad example for yourself. We have to live in this society and if we don't help each other, who else will?”

Kale, bewildered, was listening silently to what his elder brother who was trying to explain a new side of life to him. As far as he saw the world, it was black and white. Everyone is in a hurry to catch or get on to something and seldom he saw people helping each other out and even if they did it must be out of some other selfish motive of theirs, assumed Kale. 

Kale found it hard to give up this thing because he rarely did something extraordinary in his day. The abandoned wallet had bought excitement to his daily routine. Parting ways with this beauty was such a foolish idea according to him.

Sadly he admitted, “Alright! So I will just throw it away. Thats what you mean to say?”

“No… We  would return it the rightful owner” Shivram said softly.

Kale's eyes widened with genuine surprise. Of course, this thought never occurred to his innocent mind. “Oh really! Wow. Can we do that? I didn't know we could do that? How will we do that?”

Shivram laughed at his innocence. “Yes of course, we can try. Let's see if can find something helpful inside the wallet?”. On detailed inspection, they found there were 2 debit cards, one Bike RC , One Mumbai local card, one metro card and about half a dozens of visiting cards. The cards bore the name of “Amar Verma” with a faint smiling passport size photo staring into them. In the visiting cards stack, they found Amar Verma's visiting card too.

“See, his visiting card has his mobile number. We will call him and ask him to collect his wallet from us.”

“Oh! I see. How smart people are these days. They put their name and phone number in their wallets?”

“Yes they are”. Smiling Shivram dialed the mobile number. After 3 rings, a voice responded promptly, “Hullo!”

“Hello, I'm speaking from near Ghatkopar station”. Have you lost your wallet?”

“Oh Yes! Did you find it??” Excitement and relief could easily be spotted in the receiver's voice.

“yes its with me. My name is Shivram. Can you come and collect it near Ghatkopar metro station – just outside entry gate 2B?”

“Yes sure sure. Thank you so much. I will come and collect it. Right now I'm in metro only, will reach there in next 10-15 mins. By the way, where did you find it?”

“Near ghatkopar railway station only. OK. I will be waiting for you”

“Really?? thats surprising. I was no where near ghatkopar station today. But anyways, I'm coming please wait for me. Bye” Click.

“He is coming to collect. I want you to handover the wallet to him. Can you do that?” Shivram looked into Kale's eyes very gently as if convincing that we did the right thing.

Kale looked up and nodded his head along sublimely.

Minutes later, Shivram's mobile rang again. “Hullo Shivram?” “Yes Amar ji!”

“I've reached. I am standing at gate 2B entry. Where are you?”

“I'm just near that. Wearing a light blue shirt. See I'm waiving my hand right now.”

Amar spotted a hand wave just 100 metres ahead of him and exclaimed “Ah Yes! I will come”.

Shivram introduced Kale to Amar. “My little brother found your wallet.”

Amar bend down to Kale. Kale extended his hand carrying the wallet and Amar took it from his hand gently. He opened the wallet anxiously to check what is remaining of his possessions. Relieved to find his cards and original Bike RC intact, he grinned “Thank God!”.

“Thank you Kale. You have saved my day” Genuine gratefulness could be felt.

Kale smiled and blushed at this appreciation “it was not a problem at all!”

Amar's hand went inside his pocket, dished out 200 Rs. and offered to Kale. “Thank you so much again”

Kale slowly took the money admiring the crisp  2 100 rupee note with spectacled Gandhiji.  Amar shook hands with Shivram and turned to return back to metro stairs.

Kale's mind was racing fast at this moment and numerous thoughts were trying to take first place inside. Slowly and steadily his mouth took a determined shape and he looked up and ran behind Amar. He tugged his hand from behind. Amar turned and he saw Kale handing the money back to his hand. “Thank you sir”. Amar said generously, “Arre keep it beta! Its for your honesty.”

“No sir. I already feel good about returning your wallet. Need nothing else”. Smiling Kale walked back. He came back to Shivram and said silently “Don't worry, you've taught me well!”

Shivram gave one of his most generous smiles, bent down and patted his back very affectionately. Amar watched the 2 brothers hug from a distance, clutched his wallet and headed back to his destination.

~The End~