The circle of life

I observed the handcart puller pushing the “Thela” (cart) with all the strength he could muster. His frail hands shivered, beads of sweat slowly trickled down his face.

After a few minutes of his best efforts to push the cart up the incline, he gave up with an exasperated sigh. The exhausted “Thela Wala” slowly manoeuvred his cart to the pavement by the side.

His wrinkled face told many stories, of the many journeys between the warehouses, wholesale markets and stores. Pushing and steering heavy loads to the destination every day, through the many years.

My thoughts wandered back in time. 

A ten year old school kid sat on a rock by the road, in agony, holding tightly to his sprained ankle. 

“How do I get to home?”, he wondered. There was a small hillock to walk up and reach his home.

He smiled as he saw a familiar face.

“Usman Chacha”, slowly pushing the “Thela” up the road, carrying cartons and jute sacks on the cart from the provision store. To be delivered to homes in our campus.

“Kya hua beta?” (What happened child?), he asked me with a concerned look on his face.

“I twisted my ankle while getting down from the school bus, and am now unable to walk up to my home”

Usman Chacha gently helped me get on to his “Thela”. “I’ll drop you home”, he said.

And in what seemed an eternity, we reached my home. Me getting a free ride on Usman Chacha’s thela.

“How did you manage to reach home?”, Amma asked me as she applied Iodex to my ankle.

I described my ride on Usman Chacha’s “Thela”.

“You should have called him inside and offered him water”, Amma said.

“Never mind, you can do it some other day”, she said on seeing my crestfallen face.

My chain of thoughts were broken with the blaring sounds of the busy traffic. I crossed over to the other side of the road. And bought a mineral water bottle from the provision shop.

“Please have some water”, I placed the bottle in the hands of the “Thela Wala”. He smiled.

We both pushed the “Thela” up the road. 

Life does come a full circle sometimes.