By Arbeena Shah
“Kindness is a mark of faith, and whoever is not kind has no faith.”
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)
It was 5 o’clock in the evening. The clear blue sky had turned into orange. The weather was pleasantly accompanied by a swift breeze. The constant buzzing and roaring of the vehicles along the road clearly indicated that people were rushing to their homes after work. There were men and women walking hurriedly on the concrete pavement. Some were busy purchasing groceries and essential items from the shops along the road. Some were bargaining with the shopkeepers to get the fair deal for the products, while some were waiting for the bus that would take them to their destinations. The area looked crowded and noisy and had an intersection installed with traffic lights. The traffic cops in the navy blue uniform ensured smooth movement of vehicles near the crossroads. Any vehicle that attempted to break the rule was stopped by loud whistling of the traffic cops. Among the jam-packed road and the crowd, was a little girl standing alone on a footpath.
She looked pint-sized and skinny, naturally dusky in complexion with small brown eyes. Her medium-length black hair was uncombed, frizzy and loosely hitched with a hair tie. It looked as if the fresh gust of the wind had ruffled her hair. Wearing a scruffy brown printed long frock, she stood alone on a sidewalk near the traffic controlled busy crossroads. She was almost ten years old. The small fingers of her left hand were entwined with long white thin threads fastened to three big pink coloured balloons floating leisurely in the air.
Those pink balloons were not ordinary ones. They were wrapped with tiny multicoloured string lights that glittered routinely and captured the eyes.
The orange rays of the sunset fell on her hair and painted half of her face too. Her innocent eyes gazed silently at the vehicles halted in front of the traffic light that exhibited red light. The movement of her eyes indicated that she was looking for something.
After a while, she stepped down from the sidewalk and started walking towards the long yellow bus paused near the traffic light. The driver of the bus, an elderly man, was waving at her. The little girl didn’t board the bus. Instead, she walked towards the side of the bus driver and showed him the pink balloons gripped firmly in her hand.
“How much?” the driver asked loudly to the little girl while bending down to the window by his right side.
“Eighty rupees.” answered the girl in a sweet voice from the outside hoping the man would buy her pink balloons.
“That’s too much for these balloons! I would give fifty rupees only. What do you say?” said the driver firmly.
“No, fifty is quite less for these lightening balloons”, said the girl softly waiting for the man to agree on a favourable price.
“Let it be. You won’t agree with my price. I am not going to buy them!” the driver replied loudly and directed her to leave.
The little girl didn’t insist much and went back with her pink balloons to the place where she was standing before.
Meanwhile, the green light flashed and the vehicles started moving. The little girl stood there with her three glittery pink balloons in the left hand, her eyes again in search of the buyer for her balloons.
Awaiting the purchaser, her mind replayed the conversation that had taken place in the afternoon between her and the grumpy balloon seller.
“Hey listen you tiny girl!” shouted the hoary old man dressed in frayed brown pants and soiled black shirt.
“You aren’t able to sell these new balloons anymore. It has been five days and you are still without a penny. These balloons would easily fetch good amount…..arhh!!.. I think you better leave my place and find some other work. I had told your poor father already that this is not your cup of tea. He insisted and I agreed to take you. But, you are a useless creature and burdening me further! ”
“Please don’t make me leave this place! My father would get angry and will not allow me to attend school next month. It was only after immense persuasion he finally gave the consent. I promise I will not return until I sell these balloons, pleaded the little girl tenderly with tears in her eyes.
The grumpy old man had agreed.
However, it was 6:30 pm already. The orange sky was slowly turning into grey. The little girl was still unable to sell those balloons. Several vehicles stopped near the junction, many people passed by but, nobody looked interested in purchasing the balloons. Her heart was sinking, her eyes were becoming moist, and her tired legs were trembling with fear. This wasn’t the fear of sky turning dark. But, the fear of losing the job and her father who would not let her attend the school.
The upset little girl sat on the sidewalk holding the pink balloons firmly in her hand. As she looked at the vehicles with her dewy-eyes, the questions began pouring in her mind.
‘Aren’t these people passing by able to see me?
Aren’t these privileged people travelling in their comfortable vehicles wealthy enough to purchase my three balloons?
That driver did not agree on my price. Are these balloons too costly? Did I ask too much?
Isn’t there anyone kind enough to help me? God! What shall I do now?’
These questions started creating havoc in her mind. She was longing for her mother. She was craving for her safe lap to put her head in, to forget her worries, to free her mind from all the fears creeping into her mind, to hear the melodious lullaby and fall asleep peacefully. The tears began rolling down from her eyes slowly.
Alas! she wasn’t lucky enough to receive and feel the warmth of her mother’s arms around her and listen to her sweet voice. The destiny had snatched the comforting lap from her when she was just three years old. Now, she could only recall her dim face with a smile.
The sky had turned dark, it was 7:15 pm now. The pedestrians and the vehicles gradually began decreasing giving an indication that soon no one will be on the road, and the place will turn as desolate as the city of the fallen empire.
The sad little girl turned her face towards the other side and looked at the glittering pink balloons with her wet eyes. After a few minutes, she sensed someone walking towards her. She could also hear some unclear voices behind her. With the balloons in her hand, she turned back towards the road to find the source of the chattering.
She saw two people walking swiftly towards her. She gazed at them trying to catch their clear looks. The lights of her glittering balloons fell on their faces as they were coming closer to her. She wiped her wet eyes. She could now see a woman along with a kid.
The woman looked beautiful, fair and tall; dressed in a maroon frock and white shalwar with a floral white dupatta kept on her left shoulder. A brown leather bag was hanging in her left arm. She was holding a hand of a cute boy wearing a white shirt and grey pants, probably a school uniform.
As they reached near her, the little girl got up. The cute boy stared at the shiny big balloons and smiled.
“Yes, Mama! I want all of these big balloons”, the boy exclaimed pointing his small fingers towards the balloons.
A short smile sparked upon the face of a little girl upon hearing that.
“How much for these lovely three balloons?” the young lady inquired happily in a sweet tone.
“Eighty for each balloon”, the little girl answered softly.
The pretty woman took out a note of 500 rupees from her brown bag and gave it to the little girl.
“But I don’t have a change didi“, the little girl said humbly while taking the money from her.
“No problem. You can keep the extra money. Just take it as a reward from me”, the woman replied with a tender smile.
The little girl gave a wide gentle smile. Her heartfelt joyous. It was no less than a miracle to her.
Meanwhile, the boy took the glittering three pink balloons joyfully and handed over to his mom. He opened his mother’s brown leather bag. The little girl was observing him keenly.
The cute boy took out a pair of clothes visible through a transparent sheet they were wrapped in, a new notebook, a drawing book, a box of pencils and colours, and a small packet with candies and chocolates in it. Holding these things in both hands, he went closer to the little girl and said,
“Today, in our moral science class, the teacher taught us kindness. She explained the importance of being kind and compassionate to others and how beautifully a random act of kindness spreads happiness and increases satisfaction. Later, she told us to do a simple act of kindness by the end of the day.”
The boy’s mum looked at him proudly and lightly caressed his hair.
“Please, take these as gifts from me. Also, I will gift one of these lovely balloons to my best friend. He will surely like it! I hope my gifts would be useful to you”, the cute boy said humbly with a brightened smile on his face.
The little girl took the things delightfully and thanked the boy as well as his mother. She felt as if her own mother has sent these gifts to her. She could feel the affection, kindness, and love in the air which she was craving a few moments ago. She could, at last, believe that kind people do exist in this world.
Happy World Kindness Day!
The author is a student of Mass Communication & Journalism studying at Media Education Research Center, University of Kashmir.
