He never thought it existed

Being from a well-off family and brought up in luxurious facilities, he was not aware of how rare the resources are, with the economically backward sections of the society. The environment around him was according to the standards of his family, or so was it kept intentionally. He studied in a school which only the elite class could afford, so he never really mingled with people who were from a poor background. Rahul, a proud associate of a MNC giant, had a blessed childhood, an even better youth which was still pursuant. He was on his road to attain milestones which nobody at his age did.

It was a big day for him, he had prepared for this day for some time now. As a part of corporate social responsibility, it was their duty to give some part of their income to charity. Since, he had never visited slums; he claimed this opportunity with both hands. He was visiting the slums for the first time, and knew that it was going to be difficult for him, as he was told by his colleagues and friends. Though he was prepared mentally, but it was going to be altogether a very different scenario.

Rahul with his colleagues reached the slums. As they stepped out from their air conditioned cars, there was a stingy smell all around, an odour that was obnoxious and unpleasant. It had started; a not-so-good start for a difficult day ahead. As they stepped into the murky environment, they could see naked kids running across; they were all over the place. There were no roads there, only pathways, seeing which one could easily get a notion of how they used to get in the monsoons.

Rahul, unaware and not being subjected to such conditions was shocked and amazed. One roof and a door was all that could be called for a shelter, there was no order and everything seemed to be in disarray. Taking the first step, Rahul entered in a household to get to know what actually the state of affairs is. He was greeted warmly, with so much affection that he felt actually nice being in a small 8 x 10 square-feet room. His outlook towards life was changing, fast.

The entire slum was beset with problems, perennially. When sometimes electricity failed, water made life difficult at the other, there were no doctors in the slums, no hospitals nearby. Some houses were such that one thunderstorm might leave them inhabitable. There were families where there was no source of income, which primarily relied on the leftovers they had from the previous month, or they were excessively dependent on the fact that someone like Rahul would come once in a while and bail them out of trouble.

Rahul had seen all of which he thought never existed in one day, and he could not come to terms with the fact that living standards could be that worse. He realized him being rich was a decision God made with a belief that when Rahul goes out there,  he would, without thinking of his social stature, show the usefulness of the bestowed resources he has with himself. That night when he reached back home, and took out his diary to write the experiences, the wind blew and took him to the slums where that 6-year old kid said to him, “Fir se aana bhaiya”

He smiled.