I was cycling to the market one morning, when this encounter started. One of the busiest High way road of Surat, which stretches a good 37 kms., from Surat to Bharuch. That was when I noticed a small girl, in somewhat tattered and dirty clothes, walking alone, crying by herself. It seemed that the little girl was lost and was moving in search of something – maybe her home, or her parents.

What surprised me was that she was searching for her destination without expecting any help or concern from any of the co-human beings around her. I was wondering whether her individuality or experience in this selfish world that made her think that she was alone in her search.

When I realized that this girl was really alone, I asked her a few preliminary questions. She sobbingly told me that her name was Meena; her mother’s name was Sakuntala; her father’s name was Raju. And her house was ‘Udhana’ - pointing to the end of the road. Meena was consistent in saying ‘Udhana’ wherever I took her to. Probably she was getting confused in the new areas that she was seeing.

I decided to reach her to her destination and took her hand. Meena became slightly confident and stopped crying. As directed by her, my first search was a slum behind Govt. Hospital, which is a land mark in surat. Little Meena walked that 300 metre stretch with me. But the people there said that she did not belong to that area. I thought that we should go on the bicycle rather than walking and took her to the next nearest slum. There an elderly, local person joined us. We went around the slums, asking people whether they knew her. No one recognized her. But for one woman, who told us that she had seen this girl, at the Olpad-Surat Octroi Naka, an hour ago!

Oh My Lord! I thought, this girl had been walking for at least 7 kms on a busy road with thousands of people around, but surprisingly, no one had bothered about her! When someone asked me whether she was thirsty or hungry, I told them that she might not be, because she did not mention it! I was comparing Meena to our own daugher who want food at the drop of a hat. I had, in fact, started looking for water to wash my hands that had got soiled with Meena sweat and grime, never caring for her hunger!

Little Meena probably comes from a lambada family, who are nomads, and definitely not privileged to get food whenever she wanted. Though she was in distress, she was never used to taking help from outsiders.

After our initial search confirmed that she did not belong to that area, we decided to hand her over to the police station. So I went home to drop my bicycle and bring the car. During that time, my family decided to feed Meena with whatever they had. Then we took Meena to the nearest police station which could handle these cases. We informed a few small shop owners on the way and at the check post that we were dropping the girl at the police station and requested them to inform any mother who would come searching for her lost child. Meena was fearless, probably at her age she does not know the word called fear. She was accepted by police who gave her a seat along with them in the front row. They took my address and phone numbers.

I almost protested saying that I could do nothing in case of any problems. I was trying to wash my hands off!

We returned home; but I was restless the whole night. One side of me wanted to know how Meena was doing and whether her parents found her; the other side was saying that when you do not have the courage to take care of someone, you do not have the right to bother. I discussed the issue with one of my friends in Bhopal, who insisted on knowing the fate of this girl. So I called the police who informed me that Meena’s parents had collected her in the evening. It seems they were construction laborers working in Highway NH-8 Construction area.

It got me thinking:

- By moving in cars and autos, am I losing touch with ground reality?

- Am I so busy that I am becoming indifferent to people in need?

- Am I judging everyone with my own frame of reference?

- Am I so self centered that I do not care for the needs of others?

- What if Meena had been picked up by a beggar and pushed into the trade?

My lack of responsibility towards others in the society I live in, stares at me from all sides.