NO ANSWERS.

I heard a soft knock on my car window that fateful day.
We were driving to a swanky new barbecue restaurant, all decked up in our finest attires and were in a good mood. The music was softly playing on our ears when I heard the knock. A young lady with a small cachexic baby in her arms was asking for money, earnestly. The lady was in tattered rags and the baby was just in a small cloth wrapped around his privates. It was a very painful sight to behold. The baby had dried up kohl lined tear marks on his innocent face. The lady had only pain and anguish written on her face. I think tears of despair had long dried up from her sallow eyes. Her hands were slender but the unkempt nails were full of grime.
I gave a tenner note to the poor beggar and drove away from the signal.
I felt less guilty by this action.
We often do this without thinking, It has become a sort of reflex action for us. We feel that some loose change in our inflated economy will solve the problems of the poor.
We headed for the restaurant and as soon as we were about to lavish the sumptuous spread, My daughter Chaitra asked me a question innocently.
She asked me "Papa, Who were the lady and the child at the signal?"
Why they were on the road and we in the car?
She was sad, while asking these uncomfortable questions.
She was a small girl of 7 years but her compassion and concern for the beggar overwhelmed my senses. I tried to distract her from this state and I gave her my cell phone to play games with.
Soon, lunch was served on the table and we started to eat.
She asked me for the answers again. I kept quiet. The lavish spread was suddenly becoming an emotional exercise for me. The food just stuck in my gullet. I lost my appetite too.
We left after some time and on the way back, mercifully, did not encounter any beggar at any junction.
During siesta time, I told Chaitra. I have no answers for your questions.
She, while crying accused me, I had failed in her test exam. She would complain about me to her class teacher about my inability to answer her questions.
I slept,not peacefully though and thought about the plight of the economically deprived people in our democratic country.
A fancy hotel bill could run the entire family household expenditure of these families for a month.
I may have dejected my daughter.
The government had dejected the entire nation.....
My Chaitra would soon grow up and stop asking such questions.
But,One day in the future, her child would ask the same questions.
There would be no answers.