The Untold Story of the myterious Lady

 

Its a True Story............

    It was a year back when I met this good lady in the Gauhati High Court who caught my attention. She was in search of something, not known to me. I saw her talking to a few and from the nodding of the heads of those few, it was apparent that the good lady was in need of something.

    She was an old lady presumably of 80-85 years of age, shabbily dressed, weak eye sight; wrinkled skin accompanied by frailing health conditions, a lady without means of subsistence probably.

    She stood before a giant staircase of the Gauhati High  Court building, and she was interrupted by several thoughts as her wait before that staircase seemed endless. People around her were so busy in their own affairs that some failed to notice that old lady and the rest deliberately passed by her, trying to escape from getting her attention. I saw her speaking to one of my colleague and the only words which I heard whole throughout the entire conversation were –

“Sorry, Approach someone else for help’ …. and it didn’t take even a fraction of second for me to understand what actually the old lady was looking for. The whole story seemed utterly shocking, disturbing and heartbreaking, as her hope of getting assistance from someone thinned and honestly I as a specatator to this incident was a little embarrassed. She was denied repeatedly for the help she was looking for and those young Advocates kept on denying helping that old lady, as for them the pride of the ‘Black Coat’ which signifies 'authority and power' was much more of value then helping an old lady. A helpless lady finding no solution tried making a few unsuccessful attempts to climb that giant staircase with a bag in her hand.

(A bag made out of bed sheet actually)

    Her act was interrupted by a call of a stranger`- 'Aita (Granny) where do u want to go?'

    With a smile on her face she replied- Thank u son, I can manage. A lady discomforted by the repeated previous refusal, refused seeking any further assistance from anyone.

    The hand of that stranger, took Aitaa's refusal as a challenge and escorted her to the ground floor of the building, carrying that heavy worn out bag not giving a fig to anybody, how people were reacting at the sight of that worn out bag which was being carried. A rickshaw was called for by that stranger so that the lady could go home safe.

    She narrated to that stranger before she departed- Son, when I was rich and I was young I was loved and respected by everyone and people had enough spare time to help me. But, when I grew old and weak, I am being neglected everywhere.

    Nobody bothers to care for me, not even my grandchildren. The bag which u have been carrying for me contains some important land documents which my son and my daughter-in-law wants me to get it transferred in their name.” 

.......She shared her shocking, painful and heart-rending story as one by one she started unfolding many untold stories from the closed chapters of her life.

    She inquired for the name caressing the forehead, thanking and blessing that stranger for that little assistance and the company he provided. Eyes which seemed compassionate & filled with a little moist bade the final adieu to the old lady as the rickshaw gathered momentum, and the stranger who helped the lady was lost in thoughts watching her vanishing in between the crowds, that late evening, leaving the stranger bewildered and a number of questions left unanswered regarding her identity which made that stranger pen down the story today in this blog 🙂.

Written by:

Bidyut Bikash Kakati,

(M.A., LL.B)

Advocate

Gauhati High Court