RANGOLI GIRL

  

Once, during our south trip, we saw a young girl, of about 10 years, dressed in faded frock, on the footpath, as we came out of the shop. She, approached us with a bundle of Rangoli books. She requested us to buy at least one book, as she had no sale from morning. Instead of just buying I asked her, why she is selling books, and why she is not in school. She said, during some flood last year, they lost their house belongings and after school in the evening every day, she was selling these books, to get some extra income, for the house. The price of one book was just Rs 5.

 I told her, I won’t be able to use these books, as I don’t draw big rangolis, and hence it will be a waste. I took out a Rs 100 note and gave her and said, “Since you are working after school etc, I am impressed by you. Keep this money it will be useful to you and I won’t need these books”

To my surprise that young girl refused money and said, “Madam, I won’t take anything as gift, without working. Please buy the books, and pay me only for that, and only that money I can accept”

I told her to count the number of books in the entire bundle, and tell me how much it will cost. She counted and told me it was total of Rs 45. I took the entire bundle and gave her the hundred rupees and said, “Now you can keep this, as I had purchased your books”

 She said, “Madam, please wait, I will get the change” Before I could talk, she ran to the shop in the front, and exchanging the rupees, ran back to me brought me Rs 55 balance”

However, I requested, she refused even to take Rs 5 extra as gift. I blessed the baby girl, for a good future, and walked back to our car with the load of books.

This is the loyalty of poor people of our country. They don’t try to cheat and even when offered free money. They refuse to take anything free. May be these people are the real roots of our Bharath.