‘Eating Out’ is eating on.
January 27, 2008 by Santosh
A couple of days ago, I, along with my colleague, was at one of pizza joints in Chennai to have dinner. When we reached there, I spotted an old person coming towards us with a bag of Incense Sticks packets. I just ignored him and moved away, I do it most of the times in Chennai as I do not know Tamil and my experience of interacting with Auto-rickshaw drivers tells me avoid interaction with anyone in Tamil, unless it is inevitable. Certainly, this was not in that category. I went directly to the Pizza joint. A few minutes later, my colleague joined me (she was making payment to the Auto-rickshaw driver), she was carrying a pack of Incense Sticks. I looked at her bemused. She sensed it.
She told ” Didn’t you hear what that man was saying?”
The expression in my eyes conveyed to her ” How could I.. I do not know Tamil.”
” He was saying in Hindi that he had nothing to eat and if I can buy…..so I bought one pack, though I have more than enough supply of incense sticks at home.”
Two things, he was speaking Hindi (our mother tongue) and he was not begging directly. His face flashed in front of my eyes. He was different, he did not pursue us for long. He did tell something twice, but I was too engrossed and pre-occupied . He might be a genuine person in need.
By that time, the menu was open in front of me, and I placed order for two pizzas, pasta and Coke. Both pizzas seem tempting on menu, so wanted to taste each of them. Surely too much for two of us, as the other person has already declared that she was not going to eat much.
After half an hour, we gave up. No. Cannot eat more. Two pieces of pizza of still left on table. Half of the pasta unfinished. I asked for bill. Rs. 560. I put six hundred rupee notes and we walked out of the restaurant. Forty rupees, tip.
After coming out of the restaurant I looked around, the man (Incense Sticks Seller) had been here only. But he was not there. He must have gone for dinner.
I looked at the incense stick pack which was with me in my laptop bag, Rs. 20, yes It was not of more than that. His margin would have been 4-5 rupees. Dinner in 4-5 rupees? He was saying that he had nothing to eat.
Must be lying or he must have had sold some more packets. But how many, he was carrying not more than 20 packets.
Some thoughts sprang in mind. I did my best to ignore them. But now, the pizza and the pasta were anything but delicious.
Ironic isn’t it, we waste so much food without thinking….gosh though we are not directly responsible - or like to believe so, this economic inequality on our planet really bothers me.
I too have been left with a bitter taste in my mouth after a lavish dinner in a restraunt,when street urchins come after my car, begging for food at 11.30 in the nite. My taste has gone sour on occasions when i have seen kids ducking into the dustbin to get the discarded icecream cups.I suppose even dogs have a better life. But this is life, delicious like icecreams for some and dry and stale like leftover food for some.
we do become emotional sometimes….and we r taught lessons without any words….a good lesson for today…keep writing
Santy, it also applies to all those people who spend less/more than you on food. Its just that you related the two. GREAT!!
It stops us, if we want to and if we want to carry on, we can…