The stories of the less fortunate, have always appalled us. Remember the time we talked about the man who brought his daughter her first frock? Or when we told you about the man who never told his daughters that he was cleaner?
While those stories leave you teary eyed and make us thank the higher power that we don’t go through such ordeals in life; this story might not be one of them. We have heard of many evils, but nothing like this one. Read along –
A woman was spotted by social activist, Naresh Paras in Agra, UP rummaging through garbage. She was feeding her 2-year-old daughter and 3-year-old son the spoilt food and they were all drinking the filthy water from the drains in the busy Shah Market of the city.
Naresh tried to reach her, but she could barely speak Hindi, English neither. Unable to help her, Naresh called up police and explained them the situation. She was then assigned a counselor who she could talk to.
She revealed that her name is Rita and she had travelled all the way from Nagaland (almost 2,000kms) in search of a job. She was raising Rs. 2,000 to rescue her 7-year-old son from a human mortgage.
Rita’s husband Mukesh died and to perform his last rites, she borrowed Rs.2000 and had to give up her son as a “security deposit”.
The man who gave her the loan also got her a job in a tea garden for ONLY Rs 40 a day. She realised that if she earned at that rate, she might never be able to get her son back. So she took a bus to Agra with her brother-in-law Pappu, who promised to help her.
But Pappu ditched her mid-way and she couldn’t find a job. The broken mother got a tattoo of his son, Sonu on her hand, because she wasn’t allowed to see him. She gave him up 7-months ago.
The UP Police called up the local police station in Dimapur and asked them to take on the case there.
The kind people of the Shah Market, Agra got Rita clothes, shoes and fed her and her kids. They also gave her Rs. 3500, so that she can bring her son back.
Rita boarded the Brahmaputra Express yesterday and would soon unite with her 7-year-old son, Sonu.
The last leg of the story, restores my faith in humanity. But seriously, human mortgage? The moneylender who signed this horrible deal with a grieving wife, should be punished.
We hope Sonu is hale and hearty. Rita and her family deserve a chance at happiness.
News Source: Hindustan TimesÂ