Wonderful Smile

A Story by sameer

It was a hot summer evening and the heat and the smell of sweat mixed with the stink from the toilet was making it unbearable and bothering everybody. Actually the train’s final destination was just 2hrs away and people were getting impatient, since they were tried of the two day long journey and just wanted to get off.

The train stopped more than its scheduled time at Kazipet, a small station below a hill, with a temple on it. Nothing ever happened here, nobody ever really got down or ever got up at this station. But this was an important station, for it meant the arrival of the final destination and people would start collecting kids and other valuables. I remember this journey and this station only for one reason, The most wonderfull smile in the world.

An only blind beggar got on to the train. She would get on the train at this station and make her way through the compartment begging, although blind, she navigated her way through between luggages, legs and running children effortlessly. She has nothing special about the way she looked, she was just like any other beggar you find on trains and station making noise with the coins in her hand and asking men and women alternatively to do charity to a blind women.

As she walked past to my section, my mother handed over a coin to her, sensing my discomfort towards beggars. Its not that I hate them, just that they make me uncomfortable, especially blind old ladies.

The man sitting opposite to me gave out a crumpled old one rupee note to the old lady which would nobody with good eyesight would have ever accepted.

The old lady touched the paper in her hand. Stopped where she was. It felt different, it was not hard and round and did not feel heavy. It was a different. Suddenly I could sense the blind lady’s eye’s shining, he voice changed, she was excitedly muttering to herself, “a paper money a paper money”. For her the amount didn’t matter, the fact that she received a paper currency, just seems to have made her day. She was lost to the world, she immediately made her way to the door, feeling the money with her fingers all the time and got off. I could see her standing the platform still holding the money with a smile on her face as the train started off.

That was the last I ever saw her. Till day where ever the train stops at kazipet, I look for the old day. I would give all the money in the world to look at her smile, for it is the most wonderful smile in the world.