Not so long ago my dad and mom had gone for shopping at a local market in the evening. My generally hardworking dad chose to be a lethargic that day and parked the car at the most convenient area near subzi area and waited for mom to arrive back after buying house items. Just then he noticed a policeman walking to a shopkeeper selling some carrots. The burly police man picked up a carrot and while munching casually bought a kilo. For payment, he extended a thousand rupee note to the subziwala and asked for a change. Unable to produce it, the subziwala said "change nahi hai sahab, koi baat nahi, aapke liye free( I don't have change right now, it is free for you)". The policeman walked to another shopkeeper a few steps away, picked up a radish and bought another kilo extending the same 1000 rupee note. The poor seller uttered the same answer - "Change nahi hai sahab, aapke liye free." My dad did not like this. He walked to the policeman and noted his badge number and said that he would make a complaint about what happened and what he witnessed. Suddenly, the policeman produced the exact changes to the concerned shopkeepers and apologized to dad and walked away quietly. The shopkeepers were happy and praised dad and went to the extent of even offering free vegetables to him but said - "Aap bahut bahadur ho, par aapki bahaduri mehengi padegi humko. Aaj toh aap aa gaye. Magar kal ya roz roz aap thodi na aa paayenge., toh kal woh policewala aayegaaur humse double subzi vasool kar jaayegaa gusse mein(you came by today, but you wouldn't come here every day. That policeman would come here tomorrow and take away more vegetables from us for free, so this would not help us at all). Their concerns are absolutely genuine and true. What could dad do except for feeling a little guilty?
But world moves like this, people do not change, and no one cares. A poor man would remain poor while the remaining ones would find ways to make money, it doesn't matter how low they stoop in this process.
The ones who do not want this would be a silent spectator! Something which my dad may end up doing next time.
