India Street Smart

I saw two boys today. Two sweet, innocent little boys. They had eyes that shone with curiosity and mischief, and smiles that gave away fits of giggles. Barely making it to half way up my thigh, they reached out, tugged at my t-shirt and arms.

Didi, didi, panch rupiya dedo na.

Street urchins they call them. But to me, they were innocence epitomized. They did not carry the burden that perhaps their parents carried. Life was not a struggle to make ends meet, to get from one day to the next. It was a game. Who can get the most amount of money from a stranger.

I rummaged through my bag for loose change. A two rupee coin. Should suffice. And I placed the coin in his tiny little hands.

Didi, panch rupiya dedo na.

It was my turn to break into a fit of giggles. Ratan Tata, on India's corporate hot seat, bargains with Corus: panch billion ko dedo na. This little boy however has already learnt the ropes.

But their education did not stop with sales maximization. It had social responsibility attached to it. A friend of mine bought the other boy a packet of biscuits, which my little one snatched away. Shocked and angry, the other boy burst into tears and walked away. But there was compassion here. The little boy ran after the other boy, caught up, ran ahead and waited arms stretched out offering the packet of biscuits back. And I felt my heart melt.

They say India makes you street smart. And on these streets of India, this little boy has learnt well.