Learnings from the corner street

This post is not about the iconic ice cream shop ?? ...... But about a little girl next door, I couldn't take her pic as she was too busy to look up!

If you ever go to Rustomji’s for an ice-cream on a late weekend evening you will see a young girl writing away furiously in a small notebook under the next-door shop lights. If you try to converse with her, she will probably not look up, as she is intently focused on her classwork.

I did gather from her that she was in the 9th standard and was learning under the dim lights as her dad didn’t like to see her studying. Her focus was so absolute, that when the shop lights were switched off, she simply shifted her angle to continue writing under the moving car headlights.

As humans, we need appreciation, many times we desire it – for a job well done, or a project completed within a deadline or as we grow old we prefer basking on our past laurels and reflect on the hard work that resulted in those rewards (remember our parents speaking about crossing two rivers to reach school!!)

Here was this little girl who asked for nothing, neither empathy nor sympathy, when I tried speaking with her, she wasn’t interested in recollecting her struggles or current challenges. All that mattered to her was being able to pursue what was her fundamental right – Right to education. She embodied the verse from Bhagwad Gita, “You have the right to work only but never to its fruits. Let not the fruits of action be your motive, nor let your attachment be to inaction.”

In the city of dreams, this little girl was pursuing her dreams to study ahead – I wished her lots of luck and gave her some joy (I hope!). If you happen to come across this little girl, don’t disturb her but do consider helping her and bless her for success for now and beyond!