whenever i mention my sojourn to india, people often wonder if i had some sort
of spiritual awakening visiting such a mystical place. and my reply is always
*yes*, i did, but not on my visit to the holiest places in india. i felt no
spiritual rumbling when i visited the taj mahal, the temples of the many hindu
deities, buddha's sacred birthplace or even the dalai lama's monestary in upper
dharamasala. nothing. other than the appreciation for the aesthetic, cultural
and historical value. i was filled with emptiness.
until one afternoon, on my way to the american express office at connaught
place in the heart of new dehli, i experienced such a momentous event that it
has changed my life. forever. since, i was down to my last fifteen dollars
worth of rupees, i was in a hurry to get to the american express office because
the lines were always very long. when i caught out of the corner of my eye a
homeless woman and a small boy, one of the many *untouchables* cursed by their
unfortunate lot in life. scorned. they were no different then all the other
homeless souls who begged along the busy thoroughfares amidst the refuse and
unnoticed by the all the pedestrians that scurried passed them each day.
however, i was drawn to the little boy -- malnourished, he appeared very small
for his age. his dark sullen eyes were set deep into his mahogany face.
his limbs like the frail bow of the violin. i was mesmerized.
when suddenly a couple of stray emaciated dogs wandered passed the little boy
and his mother. one dog was particularly diseased, covered in welts, the pelt
of his coat growing in patches and the skin raw with open wounds. i observed
the pathetic creature. aghast. then the most miraculous event occurred. the
little boy walked over to his mother and whispered something to her. then she
reached into a tattered woven bag and pulled-out a stale piece of naan. the
little boy took the bread and walked over to the diseased dog and fed him,
as he gently rested his hand on the pathetic creature's head.
i wept.
i emptied all the rupees in my pockets into his bowl and walked away.
