On my visits to Janpath Indin Oil Bhavan I once came across a 10 year old boy selling ball point pens outside De Pauls . We became friends and it became my practise to buy him soft drinks and eatables from there whenever we met .

One day my driver Aalam took me into confidence and appraised me with the secret that – ” The boy is very cunning . He tries to sell all the eatables back to the shopkeeper as soon as you leave . I have snooped on him everytime and discovered this each time ” .

My reply to Aalam was that chilren of poor families from their very birth witness hell .Brutal fights , hunger , parents addicted to alcohol , every form of deprivation and rejection . They become adults the moment they are born and are totally oblivious of the meaning of childhood . Their sole aim is to earn every penny they can . In future instead of expensive food I will give him money . Rs 20 will give him greater happiness than eatables worth Rs 100 .

On another occasion I saw him leading a troupe of smaller children introducing them to his trade , as their leader , all of them armed with ball point pens .

When my friends Madhu ji and Gita ji visited Indian Oil Bhavan the troupe enquired about my whereabouts . On being informed about my friendship with them by Madhu ji , Geetaji a large hearted lady offered them fruits . They chose large pomergranates which were cut into half and distibuted to each one .