Of Flyovers, the lights and the smiles.

In the time I spent at Delhi, preparing for engineering entrance exams, I frequently traveled between Yusuf Sarai where my hostel was located, and Sarvapriya Vihar. For those of you un-familiar with the local geography of this region, Sarvapriya Vihar is a sort of educational hub of its own. More specifically Kalusarai. All of the best institutes, for preparation for any entrance exam after graduating from school, have a center here. The fact that it is situated bang in front of IIT Delhi, only adds to the motivation factor.

In the midst of all these symbols of growing India, stands another, the IIT flyover. Flyover by day, and well flyover by the night too. Though the meaning of the word flyover, is different for different people.

This particular one, is also a home, a haven to several street children. I'm not a big city guy, so I might not be very accurate about this stuff, but it seems, that flyovers support the national economy on their side up, and the real India underneath. What travels on their roads, is one nation, what lives beneath, is another. One is a nation of movement, a nation stretching its limits, in an effort to be one day recognized as a world power, another is a country of clipped wings, destinies chained to the very poverty of existence, but still one that looks for a ray of hope, a path to success. Perhaps its right, ambition doesn't need height if its tall enough.

Walking back after class everyday - (the miser that I am, I'd always try and save the stupid 5 bucks of the bus, though there were several opinions on the reason of my doing so, one of the most outrageous being that I had finally decided to lose weight. However, sometimes, outrageous is actually the truth. Don't try and read between the lines. This is NOT about my struggles with weight loss!) - I'd notice kids. Kids in their pre-teens. Those who had already attained teenage, were no more kids. They would run around, the crossing, car to car, trying to get some money. The slightly older ones, would try and sell things. From noddy puppy toys, to Christmas hats. For those hours of the day, they'd set up their own wal-mart. But here, the smiles were genuine.

It often makes me think, these people and me. How different are we as humans? They want to be happy, me too. They try and reach for more than they have, me too. When they get a thing to be happy about, they are happy, me too. So? What's the point? The point is, why are they not spending their lives as I did? In fact, how are they spending it? What's in store for their futures?

Living by the day, surviving on whatever they can put together, what might be the limit of their ambitions? Wouldn't they be rather hindered? I decided to find out. One evening, I stopped and asked a group of them. What do you want to become in life? Where do you see yourself some years from now?

After the expected (and deserved) quota of weird looks, one ventured to answer. I was already having second thoughts about this, perhaps it was too cruel. What was just curiosity on my part, might end up in an unkind mockery of their predicaments.

"Aap kahan rahoge?" (Where would you be?) he asks "Main door nahi rahunga" (I wont be far)

In that one moment, I realized some truth. Fiercely competitive, indomitable in-spite of the various challenges posed. Ambition, it seemed, needed no height, if it was tall enough.

"Magar aap poochte rehna..." (But, you keep asking...)

A humble reminder, of what it meant to him. Of how much faith helps the spirit. Little did he know, it wasn't faith, no. Not at least till he earned it.