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Story Time: I am happy
I am a beggar. Begging is our family profession. My father and mother also beg. My father begs in such a painful voice that people are compelled to give him some money. My father trained me to beg. At first he showed me the techniques of begging, then gradually, he started taking me out with him so that I could learn more.
We are not only beggars but also nomads. In our possession we have only one big piece of cloth for living, one dog and some pots — this is our total wealth. For us, there is no destination.
At the beginning, I felt shy. I hated the way people insulted me. I felt so angry but my father told me that beggar should not get angry, instead we should ask from everyone every time. We must tolerate the bitter comments of people because this is the key of a successful begging career. My shyness and hesitation was wiped out and in few days I started begging like an expert beggar. But there was something missing — I was not working hard and I did not deserve the money I got.
One day I saw a little boy. A car stopped in front of him and the boy gave a newspaper to the person sitting in the car. That rich man gave ten rupees to the boy. When the innocent boy returned the change to the rich man, asked the boy to keep it. The boy got red with anger. He threw the change in the car and said, Sahab ji! Main halal rozi kamata hoon, koi bheek nahi mangta. Apney paisey apney pass rakho (I earn an honest livelihood. I do not beg. Keep your money).
This incident made me think about my profession. Begging is an abuse. I am a very healthy boy, then why am I begging? My way of thinking changed and I decided to spend my life in a new way.
Today, I am very tired. My whole body is aching due to exertion. Yes, today, I worked hard. The whole day, I was picking up bricks. Today, my heart has such strange feeling of happiness. Now, I have to stop my father and mother from begging. Thinking about all of this I stepped towards my tent.
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