Well…this title could well apply to me! But then this post is not about me so I shall not crib about how I’ve been swamped by work these days…

In the afternoon yesterday – at close to lunch time I had to go for a meeting. Since I was hopping from one meeting to the other my colleague was to pick me up at a pre-appointed place and then we were to go together from there.

So I was waiting at this corner where she was going to pick me up. Right there was a little street side restaurant doing brisk business. People kept coming for a quick lunch and the variety of appetizing smells were making me ravenous! He was selling idlis, some premixed rice like lemon rice and tamarind rice and biryani. People were being served in disposable plates. They came gulped down their food, chucked their plates into a nearby bin and left. I was wondering what their hurry was – why did they have to gulp down the food? I’m pretty sure they could not even have tasted the food at that speed!

Out of the blue came three dogs. They seemed to be a favourite at this spot. Many of the regular eaters (I’m guessing) welcomed the dogs. They even had names for each of them. Asin, Jyothika and Surya!! (Names of Tamil actors!) Soon people forgot their hurry and were buying the dogs buns, biscuits, idlis and what not and throwing them in the air and having fun watching the dogs catch them. The dogs were mighty excited and happy. They were wagging their tails vigorously and catching with full energy. For street dogs, they seemed pretty plump and well fed! It was indeed entertaining to watch them while I twiddled my thumbs and waited impatiently for my colleague to arrive.

Then there came and old lady. A beggar. So thin and frail that she could barely walk. I could count all her ribs literally. Her dirty saree was torn in many places. Her hair was all knotty. He face was heavily wrinkled and there was such a dead expression on her face. She stood there silently begging, her eyes pleading, but saying nothing. She watched as the men fed the dogs and amused themselves. They all ignored her. She went to each of the men standing there and silently stretched out her bony arm. Her eyes imploring. They just looked the other way – as we all do when beggars come to us. But they fed the dogs heartily. The irony of it made me sad. As a rule I never give in to beggars. But this seemed rather cruel. They were feeding the well fed dogs and ignoring the frail lady. Why is it that none of them felt like buying this poor old lady some food? Is it a cruel streak in us? Or are we just conditioned to ignore beggars? Whatever it was, this just did not seem right. In the end I could take it no more and bought a plate of idlis and handed it over to the old lady. She blessed me profusely and suddenly I wanted to cry.

Fortunately, before I could make a fool of myself by crying right there - amidst the roaring traffic, the boisterous men, the happily yelping dogs and a blubbering old woman - my colleague reached and I gratefully got into her car. But the incident still haunts me. My heart goes out to the frail old woman. How she must be struggling to get each meal. Day after depressing day. How hurt she must feel that people had the heart to feed the dogs – but not her. Or was she way past feeling anything? I wonder…