I quit cycling this rainy season.and after so many years i found myself waiting impatinly for bus no 392. I was quite hopeful of reaching office on time.
But as expected 392 came late. It had always been late. I cursed myself through the impatient wait, thinking why I had my hopes on a bus which was never on time and even if it wanted to reach on time the roads or the seasons would jus not let it. Every few minutes of wait i thought of catching an alternate bus from main road which was jus 10min away. but i jus decided to stick to 392.
There were many people at the bus stop sharing my emotion or shud i call it frustration. but i found a child wearing a school uniform quite cheerful, playing around in the rain. His mother was accompanaying him. he reminded me of my school days...he seemed to be so care free..i wish i cud feel that way. Watching him i thought that it would'nt be long before his mother will jus drop him off at the bus stop and then finally he'll manage on his own from home to school....my thoughts were interrupted by 392...and i was more than happy to see it approaching.
I guess i am a slow learner..coz inspite of the ordeal i had been through the previous day i found myself waiting for 392 again the next day. The child and his mother were already there. The boy was playing around the bus stop. I asked him his name. He did'nt repond but continued playing. I tried interacting with him but he was not bothered. I felt he was really being arrogant. but i was wrong....his mother came up to me....she smiled at me faintly and said "he's spastic". i dint speak. i jus returned her smile and waited for 392.
Every day i met the lady and her son at the bus stop. soon i became friends with the lady - Mrs. Awale and her son-Nilesh. Niles will turn 11 next month. He goes to this special school at Ghatkopar where mentally challanged children are supposed to be taught. taught wat??? Sometimes i wondered....may be taught to live.....i donno..but through the weeks i have realized from aunty's experiences.....how the school exploits the parents and they have no other choice but to oblige them coz the case is same every where and also there are not many such schools around. Aunty did protest...the next week nilesh was demoted to a lower class.... and the justification by the board was he was not showing any signs of improvement.She often tells how private institutions are making the so called act of kindness and humanity a business.....
But with littele help each one of us can make a difference in their lives...all they yearn for is little time and love from those around them. I am in awe for aunty. Over weeks i have seen her how she handles his impatience with love and affection.
He was the most impatient was on a rainy day wen he was upset coz he wanted to celebrate his birthday which was not until the next month....He wanted to do so coz his siblings were at home for only 1 more week and then they would not b back before Diwali. The patience with which she handled him was worth learning........i looked at aunty and thought "he's your special child". And then as if she had read my mind she said to me with a smile on her face "he's god's special child." and indeed he's a special child of god.
He's one among us. Some are crippled by body, some by mind, and some by faith.....but we are after all children of god.
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