Dreams Of A Rag Picker

Her eyes gleamed with dreams.
The dreams of finding a lost happiness.
Something that was missing in her life and she could only feel it's absence.
The dreams of hope, a never ending faith that she has on her destiny, that one day her days would change.

And she would be a happier being.
Her bare feet, bruised and caked in mud, craving for the comfort of a broken slipper.
Her clothes, torn and dirty, were seen smiling through her worst of days.
Whenever she saw someone of her age, going to school or playing in the park, her heart would ache a little, and for a moment, she would find the rag basket even more heavier than it actually was.

The weight of poverty.

With no one by her side, this rag basket was her sole companion.
But she kept dreaming about a family.
About a home full of love.
And a world with no rag baskets.
But things were getting harsh,
She couldn't find anything to eat.
Two days had passed and the rag basket at her back felt too heavy for her to carry any longer.

At that instant, she saw a man feeding biscuits to his dog.
Her self esteem couldn't stand her hunger any longer and prompted her to get those biscuits.
"He seems like a good man. He is feeding this dog with so much care. And I am a human after all. Why won't he give me two biscuits to eat ", she murmured.

She went near him but before she could say anything, out of disgust, he pushed her and she fell on the road.

Blood and tears both made their way at the same time.
A gentleman was passing by and seeing her condition, out of pity, he took her with him, and her rag basket was left behind.

Her days changed.
A girl who was once a rag picker, was now reading A,B,C at school and in no time learnt to write her name.

With her talent and hard work, she rose to new heights
And one day, became a minister and got her family pride
One day, she was going in her car and she went to a place which had too much in store for her.
That place, where once she was a rag picker.

She saw those streets where she was pushed by that man as a punishment for approaching him for biscuits.

She saw her home.
And then, she saw something really familiar - her rag basket.
Tears started flowing from her eyes and she got out of her car.
That broken rag basket seemed to say something.
It felt as it was saying that I did my best for you and supported you even after everyone deserted you. But you became so selfish that you forgot me. Have you forgot your hard days in this luxurious comfort ? But I haven't. I am still the rag basket and you are my Rag picker.

These words made the hair behind her neck stand.
Her vision became blurry and she felt suffocated, like something is choking her.
And the next moment, she opened her eyes.
Her dilapidated house, torn and stinking mattress, water dripping from broken roof, everything was same.

Alas.. That was a dream. A beautiful dream. It felt so real. But it was not.
Her rag basket was lying near her and at that moment she realized, it was the biggest reality of her life.