25th july 2023, driving back to home from market.
"sir ye gulab lelo" he said- a young boy in his early teen. "nahi bhai, nahi chahiye"
"please bhaiya lelo" determined he is and between me and him there are 120 secs of the traffic signal. I got irritated and turned away, thinking who would buy red rose on a rainy tuesday evening. Maybe a romantic one? desperate to go to lover or a hard working husband reaching home late on his marriage anniversary day?
"fresh rose hai bhaiya" heard him again knocking on my window. rolled my window down and told him, "mai kya karunga bhai iska?"
"lelo bhaiya please" says my man
"aree kiske liye lun? akela hun mai, koe nahi hai jisko mai ye de sakun" i said and suddenly felt a bit more lonely, the lonliness that we all name sometime as solitude and try to not face the reality that "me" is all that we have now.
suddenly my attention goes to him drenching in heavy rain and feeling cold. Felt sad for him and asked "kitne ka hai"
"30rs" he said. took out 50rs and brought his rose.
signal turned green, driving towards my home, blood red rose lies on my dashboard, car smells of rose now. mood feels a bit better. Felt happy that i could do something for the boy and felt sad i could not provide him good education which he deserves instead he's getting wet on a cold evening just to make a living.
"who isn't wet in monsoon these days pal" said the philosophical part of my brain
reached home and gave the rose to my mom "aree wah aaj itna pyaar kyon aa rha hai" she pulls my leg. "Yunhi, aapko accha feel karane ke liye, pyaar jatane ke liye" i said
went to my room, lying on bed, still thinking about the boy. Wondering if he'll ever gift roses to his loved ones. Is the rose a hope of love for him or just another memory of a damp cold evening where he's drenched in rain and negotiating prices for his rose.
