I Too Was A Child

Giggling while looking at a small kitten, 4 years old Vijju was calling him Billu.

Vijju wanted to be friends with Billu but Billu was not willing to oblige. Unlike dogs, cats are less domestic beings. Even if they are domestic again unlike dogs, cats are not too emotional about their human owner - good choice you see. We refer people who are not having good lives as living like a dog, thanks to less domestic nature of cats there would have been a similar phrase for the cats as well.

Billu went away after a while leaving Vijju in a state of disappointment.

In evening Viju’s mother, Kanti returned home, with an old pair of shoes discarded by the family, where she was working as a domestic help. Seeing her mother returned with the old pair of Shoe, VIjju simply forgot about Billu and jumped on the shoes - wearing it in hands first, before wearing them in the right place.

And here Kanti was wondering, how her master’s family can give away such lovely pairs of shoes which was just a few months old, especially when they were so mean about her wages. They would deduct half day’s wage even if she was late by 15 minutes. Anyway, she thought at least Vijju is happy with the shoes. She always feels guilty about not being able to spend enough time with Vijju. She works as house help from 8 o'clock in the morning to 8 in the evening, leaving Vijju in hands of an old lady in her slums, who looks after Vijju and some other kids in the slums for Rs 700 a month per child.

Her husband a Rikshaw puller left home to become a Sadhu when Vijju was just 11 months old. She was devastated. Thankfully for her, Vijju was the ray of hope. She would have perhaps killed herself if Vijju wasn’t around.

Vijju is 4 years old now, and is coming up like a good boy. He was showing a keen interest in studies as told by a teacher from NGO who visits the slums to teach poor children. Kanti was full of pride and have started to think about sending him to regular school next year. She, like any other mother was looking for a bright future for her child and a hope that someday in future when Vijju gets a good job after completing his studies, will take care of her in old age. In fact, not just Vijju, she has already imagined Vijju, his wife and, their children would be living together in a nice 1 bedroom flat in Virar a far-off suburb in Mumbai. Vijju will work, his wife would take care of Kanti, while she plays with her grandchildren who will keep on calling her Dadi.

13 Years later, Vijju is in news all over and Kanti’s has tried to kill herself.

He and 3 of his friends were accused of raping and brutally killing a 21-year-old girl. All sorts of media even business media and an army of armchair social activists on Facebook and Whatsapp are demanding instant capital punishment for Vijju and his friends. Not just capital punishment but some sort of period movie variety torturous death in public

What happened in 13 years that a sweet little Vijju who wanted to be friends with a kitten and was overjoyed with an old pair of shoes ended up being accused of such heinous crime!

Is it what he did or what was done to him, is he a sex manic or is he just deeply sick, is it him or is it the society? Is it about what Vijju did or about why he did it? Is it about the Judgement or it is about the truth?

May be we will find out someday, till that time I’ll also join the bandwagon of candle marchers asking for capital punishment for Vijju. After all, why do I care for truth if I can get the conclusion fast!