This is a continuation of my previous post. Though just to recap where I left off, I asked this question-
“Let us say you are roaming around in a city you have just arrived in and you are looking for something to eat. If you are short of cash, assume a hundred Rupee note. You go to a regular food shop (where they give entire lunch for just 80 bucks). At the entrance of the food store, you encounter a beggar, skinny from starvation, wearing a worn-out shirt. What would you do?”
FOREGROUND:
This had happened to me and even when I call this a continuation of my previous post, I would clarify that this is more of me sharing my experience rather than me putting up a point with myself as an example. Having said that, let’s see what I did.
So, I was in Bangalore on the evening of 20th December 2020. I went there to attend my SSB for NDA.
It was about 7 o’clock when I went out for dinner (the hotel where I was staying did not have a restaurant). For some reason, I just wanted to walk around the area where I was staying and decided to get my dinner on the way back, instead of ordering it online.
So with a hundred rupee note in my pocket (yes, just a hundred as I was reckoning something like a veg roll or sandwich for dinner) off, I went on the streets of Bangalore, walking around in the MG road area. I crossed the street and after roaming a lot and being unaware of where I was, I thought to get myself my dinner. (Thanks to google maps I was so confident in this adventure of mine.)
After taking a selfie in front of the closed showroom of Indian Motorcycles, I crossed the street and asked a guy if he knew of some place where some low-cost dinner could be fetched. He was an intern in some big hotel nearby and was good enough to take me to the area where my needs could be met. He even shared his number with me.
Situation Reaction Test… Live
Now, this is where the thing happened. I entered a small food shop where the main stove is kept outside (on which snacks like jalebis and samosas are made) and was looking up and down the menu. Paneer cost 120 per serving but rolls, parathas, and dosas were all affordable. And just within that minute of me deciding what to eat, a man in his forties, 5 feet in height, quite skinny, and wearing battered clothes came to the entrance of the store and was asking for some food. The guy sitting on the counter started on him like that man was some street dog. That man was asking for some money. I asked him if he would like to eat something.
“Are bhaiya ye roj aise hi aata hai aur paise maang ke daaru peeta hai,” said the shopkeeper (“He comes around everyday and drinks with whatever money he could gather”).
“But I am offering him some food, right?” I replied and brought my attention back to that man.
“Egg roll khayenge?” (“Would you have an egg roll?“)
“De dijiye” (“Yeah sure”)
I ordered a double egg roll for him which cost sixty rupees and got myself a veg roll of forty.
The man took the roll and started eating in there, sitting on one of the chairs.
“Go out and eat, don’t eat here,” said the guy on the counter.
“I am being paid for the food, I will sit here and eat.” replied that man. Even though this audacity of his was almost shocking but it was really funny at the same time. I wanted to laugh right there but just smiled looking down. When my veg roll came, I took it and went back to my hotel. I somehow felt good.
Later on, at about nine I felt hungry again and ordered something online (I don’t quite remember, maybe some rice).
I am amazed at how the details of that evening flashed back to my mind. I hope this was fun to read.