My Affair With Beggar

I was in my Bio-chemistry final year. After the first semester exams completed, I had planned a tour along with my friends. Chandra was my boyfriend at that time. We were all excited about the travel, booked the tickets, and had finished shopping, and finally came the most awaited day.

We were 12 members in our group waiting at the railway station for the train to arrive. The train had arrived on time and we all settled down in our seats and the train departs. A few of my friends suggested that we play antakshari. Everyone was looking up to me to agree to that, and I did.

Then came my turn to sing, and I blanked out. I asked Chandra for help, but being an introvert, he was unable to offer any help. Then I heard a beautiful male voice singing that surprised all of us and then we turned back to see who it was. It was a starving beggar, looking very shabby, with torn clothes, tangled hair and very displeasing looks.

The group’s gestures, though they offered some money, had put him off, and he was scared. I suddenly realised that and called him back but he continued to ask for alms from everyone. The rest of our group went back to playing again, but my thoughts were stuck on the middle-aged beggar. He was very lean, tall and unhealthy, he stood near the vestibule of the compartment. While everyone else was busy in their activities, I walked up to him and asked his name. He said he does not remember. I was surprised. He said when he woke up one day, he was on a railway platform and does not know anything beyond that. He asked for help but no one helped him, instead suspected him to be a street thief. This was all he said. I told him to go and bathe in the washroom on the train. I gave him a set of clothes of my friend who was also tall and slim. I gave him my comb and asked him to comb his hair neatly. I went to the pantry and bought some food for him. After he had his food, he was looking so different from what he looked like a while ago. All my friends were surprised to see him like that. I asked him to sing a song for us. He sang an old Hindi Kishore Kumar's song. Everyone was listening to him, and his voice was beautiful and melodious.

People started offering him money. Our destination had arrived and I was a bit disappointed. All of my friends said bye to him and got off at the station. I gave him a quick tight hug and kissed him. I shared my mobile number and ten thousand rupees cash. He was speechless and started crying. I told him “From today your name is Kishore. You are not a beggar. Call me on my number whenever you feel like. Do some work and live. I love you", kissed him again and stepped out of the train onto the platform. My friends were shocked to see my impulsive reaction towards a beggar. Chandra kept quiet.

Kishore used to call me frequently and I was happy to know that he was working as daily labour and stopped begging. I always used to tell him I love you whenever he called me. He always smiled listening to my words. One fine day, he called me and sounded sad. I called him to our place against my friends wish. He came and I asked him why he was so dull. He showed me some medical reports which showed he had advanced throat cancer. I took him to another doctor with his reports and the doctor said he would not be living for more than a couple of months. I was deeply depressed and asked Kishore what were his last wishes. He told me he would like to live with me till he dies. All my friends opposed my positive decision and called my parents and they summoned me. My parents were mad at me for what I tried to do, but I did not care for anyone and stayed with him for one and half month and then he passed away. All that time we slept together holding hands, while he sang Kishore Kumar's songs with his unbearable throat pain, every night, for me. I hugged him and kissed him every time he sang a song for me. He asked me to accept him kissing me one time. I accepted. He very passionately kissed me. He then sang a song and went to sleep. He did not wake up again. I arranged for his cremation and was all alone in my room till I completed my graduation. He is no more now but I always remember him and his voice. He left a remarkable impression on me.