Colours...

I loved to paint as a kid. Anything that needs to be filled colours into, I would most willingly do it. Tell me to draw, id run away. I hated drawing but I loved colouring.

Today while traveling by train, I happened to meet another kid who was as fond of painting as I.But,she couldn’t afford it.She went around the train selling ear buds in small plastic bags while her mother sat next to me.Ate the age of 6 yrs she couldn’t afford to look at that tempting red colouring book,which another boy of about 12 yrs was selling; which had a big yellow tweety on it attracting her attention in no time. She was amazed by the fact of filling beautiful colours into figures that would come to life as soon as the colours were put into them.She was the only earning member of her family and couldn’t possibly waste 2 rupees on this small yet very attractive book.

Finally, she gave in. She called her mother who sat silently on the seat next to me and told her how she wanted to buy this book and that it costed just 2 rupees. Her mother, I then realized was completely blind. She curtly told her daughter that they couldn’t afford it, as they hadn’t managed to sell more than one ear bud packet for 5 rupees today. The kid's face sulked immediately. You could see all her excitement drain off in one min and anyone who had seen her sad face would have melted and so did I.

I called the boy, bought the book from him and gave it to the girl. She hesitated first but finally agreed and when she took it from me, she gave me the best smile id ever seen in the world. Mother and daughter immediately got off and I looked at them. The kid was so thrilled, she took her mums fingers, traced them over a Mickey mouse face and said “ha bagh, ha undiracha tond”(see, this is the face of the mouse)…and I smiled to myself wondering how just the smallest of things make us so happy sometimes..:)