Foot of the statue

Everything on the road is bright and full of light and in the middle of the road standing a statue hidden under the curtain and to be inaugurated tomorrow. Hundred of workers worked days and night and worked very hard for its completion. Tomorrow is the big day tomorrow it will be inaugurated.

A little distance away from the statue a little, old, dirty woman is standing. She is one of the workers involved in the construction of statue. She used to live in a hut build by bricks nearby, she was living in that hut from past ten months. It used to be her home. Her only child used to play near the statue. This place was there home for all these days and now she was told to move away in a days notice as tomorrow the statue is to be inaugurated. The women was standing with her son and have no idea where to go, she was looking lost. The watchman, appointed today only and for today only was watching her from a long time. He saw the woman approaching close towards the foot of the statue.

The watchman said "hello you dirty lady what are you doing here, go away."

"But where am I supposed to go I was living here from a long time and now I have nowhere to go till the contractor put me on other job, where can I go" said the woman.

"But Amma I was told to look after the statue so please go away else I will be fired."

"I was doing this job from last ten months so please let me stay here for the last day. I wont be of any trouble, my son is sleepy and hungry so let me stay please."

"Ok amma but get a little away from the statue as no one is allowed to come near this today."

The old lady gently moved a little away from the statue and sat on the footpath. Her son asked "Ma why are we not sleeping in our home tonight."

"We have no home son, see there is no hut where we used to sleep."

"Why mother, are we not allowed to sleep in our hut anymore."

"We will be given a new place to live and we will go there ok now sleep."

"Mother, I am hungry are you not giving me anything to eat. Where are you going to cook. Will I be getting no food today."

The mother had no answer. The contractor had given her no money saying that "I am busy in other things I will pay you tomorrow or so, can you not tolerate a little delay, how good I used to be to you people and you people always indecently asking for money, cant you see I am busy in inauguration work, go away come back later."

She found two rupees left in her savings. She bought a little bread from it and gave it to her son. She don’t know what she is going to do tomorrow since she has no money left and no work for tomorrow.

Next morning there is a huge public gathered to see the ceremony. People everywhere, that woman is standing very far from that place and was hoping to get paid from the contractor. She saw people dying to see the ceremony, some people climbed on the nearby trees to see the glimpse of the statue. Somebody said you know this statue worth rupees ten lakhs and monthly expenditure of two thousand rupees on lights.The ceremony took around four hours for its completion with all the VIPs telling there views about something related and something not related to the occasion.

After the ceremony is over the women reached to the contractor and asked him for money. The contractor got annoyed "Why are you bothering me for your money, cant you see how important this function is, I don’t think your ten rupees are more important than the ceremony, go away or I will fire you, go away." Then two of the men took her away from there.

In the evening everything is looking very beautiful, lights everywhere and the statue shining in the bright light. The watchman reached to the lady and said "Amma you are still here."

The woman said "I am going, I am not going to bother you any more. I am here just for the last glimpse of the place I lived for so many days"

"No problem amma I am going myself, my job is done now there is no restriction you can even sit on the foot of the statue." The watchman said and left.

The woman sat on the ground and looked her hungry son as today she had no money for food. She started crying, her son come near her and said "Come mother, don’t cry please, let us sleep I am not hungry don’t worry I am ok."

Someone passing by said "Beautiful, how beautiful this statue is, there must be at least ten more statues should be build like this. really how beautiful it is, isn’t it."