When is Diwali ??

Diwali Eve and raining, it was. I wanted Pani puri desperately. All the cricket crazy fans were tied to the Stupid box and I could not get any better company than my poor Mom, who was so busy with the Diwali Sweets distribution (not preparation though). She would not have even thought of coming out with me in that rain if she had been preparing sweets. I took out my two wheeler happily and kicked to start. Failed. Tried to start again. Failed. Tried again twice, failed.. Fails at all the wrong times !! Sigh !! 
Luckily, Dad could spare me two minutes to kick my stupid two wheeler !! Started,,,, making me grasp that it was not its fault but mine. Grrrrrrrr….
“Power venum pa !!”, Dad alleged..
“Nee innum neraya paal kudikkanum” This was from mom..
“Seri vidunga”, me as usual ..
We could reach the pani puri shop in another ten minutes irrespective of the distance and rain. I ordered masal puris for me and mom.
Coimbatore has a peculiar taste in chaats, it neither has the typical north Indian taste nor completely south Indian. It is a mixture of both. Me and Mom simply love it and this was supposed to be one of our favorite shops. The rain and taste added to our delight.
We were chatting all the usual stuff when I noticed a small boy running here and there washing plates. He was dark and undersized for his age with a big Viboothi symbol on his forehead. He was fast, had learnt the art of pani puri, masal puri making proficiently and was able to serve more than 4 plates at a time, ofcourse when the elder person at the shop was not there. My mother shared the same surprise. There was something in him that made me feel guilty about the way I grumble at home.
After we finished our respective plates, I called the boy and asked his name. Thereafter followed the below conversation. The below was in pure Tamil owing to the Tamil Medium Government School , the boy went to.
“Thambi, What’s ur name ??”
“Senthil” He was busy and had no time to answer my boring questions patiently. However, he had the decorum to finish with one-words.
“Do you go to school ?”
“Yes, 6th Std. Kuppakonam Pudur government school”
May be he had started to lose his patience. I decided to cut my questions short, really short.
“Oh, Then how come………”
“I come here in the evenings to help my brother. My brother works for this shop owner and gets paid 150Rs/day. If I wash plates, they give me 25Rs/day.”
I was awestruck. My mother threw a smirk glance at me. I ignored and was about to shoot my next question, when the boy said, “Akka, I have work. There’s crowd in the shop.”
“Seri seri.. Carry on” I said modestly and turned to face my mom (I didn’t have an option).
Mom simply said, “Go pay and we shall leave”
I went to the cash counter where Senthil’s elder brother managed Mushroom fry with one hand and folded currencies in the other hand. I handed a 500 Rs note to him and smiled.
“Change illa Akka” he said.
I looked at my mom helplessly and she also hadn’t brought any change.
“Namma akka than anna.. Change maathittu vandhu kudukkum” A Familiar voice, I turned around and saw Senthil convincing his brother that I would bring back the change.
This boy hadn’t known me even for five minutes. Yet he was ready to rely that I would bring back the 50Rs I owed him. That could even mean loss of his 2 days wages(hard work precisely), if I cheated him. I couldn’t believe the deep sense of generosity and humanity planted in him at this small age whereas there are not even traces of these traits in grown-ups or Well-Educated.
The elder brother also agreed and I rushed to a nearby departmental store to waste a 50Rs on some jelly and chocolate.
I returned back and handed a 50Rs. I was given a 5Rs change and I gave it to Senthil thankfully.
He said” Venam Akka, I get paid for what I do here”
“Wow, Man !! I am sure you’ll be a great guy one day !!!” I thought but words refused to come out.
We returned back home and I could not control my thoughts about that tiny fellow. He had left an impression and it would definitely not leave my mind soon.
Goddamn, it was Diwali eve!!! Children of his age, either flock around the crackers shops or pester their parents for no reason, in spite of the house being filled with things they like. I belonged to the second category. I used to whine all day that I have no company at home and it was such a boring life and so on. Whereas, look at this guy.!!! He was contentedly working, helping people and celebrating life in his own way. For him, taking home that 25Rs meant more than any fun involved in Diwali, Pongal, etc.
Our Country has a lot of Narakasuras - Bribery, Deceit, Corruption, Pollution, Child Labor and the list goes never ending. The truest and happiest Diwali can come only when all the above are completely exterminated and the air is free enough to breathe in, for children like Senthil. Hoping for such a Diwali soon !! 