awright .. this continues from my last article 'begrachi'. This is the final part .



Begarachi II


But then there are those who really are needy and they don’t make a fool out of you .the other day I was driving back from hyderabad when about 5 in the morning I stopped at this hotel just on the outskirts of Karachi on the side of the main highway which is famous for its chicken karhai. As I washed up to devour the tantalizing chicken, I saw this boy around 17 years old sitting by my car.


I felt compelled to ask him if he wanted something to eat but my growling stomach took the better of me and I started to eat .I found him mute at the same place after I finished stuffing myself .his clear fragile eyes betrayed helplessness. My conscience lampooned me so asked him what he wanted .he signaled by his hands that he was hungry. While I paid for his food I felt this gentle radiance within me and somehow I felt that this sudden warmth of tranquillity within me has got nothing to do with the karhai.


Others are needy but they have the dignity to work and are often rewarded one way or the other. Last week I went to sadar to get my cellular phone mended .my friend dropped it and the fall chipped off some of it .I took it to the shop as it was still under warranty. They said that the sidepiece broke off, the warranty is now void and that the mobile phone is worthless. Furthermore they can pay me Rs.2000 for it if I insist .If I insist ??? . The nerve of him. Imagine Rs.2000 for a Rs.18000 cellular phone. I left the shop and decided that it would be better to give it to my janitor than take Rs.2000 for it. Anyway as I was standing outside the shop in disgust thinking what to do when this fellow came to me and asked me if he could mend if for me.


He had been listening to my conversation with the salesman of the shop .how much? .Rs.50 only sir! . What do I have to lose? I thought and handed him my mobile phone. He looked carefully at the defected area and then handing me back the cellular phone ran in a small alley. He emerged after exactly 1 minute carrying a small bag and started working. After some 10 minutes and a soft drink, my cellular phone was as good as new. Even I couldn’t tell that it was dropped sometime let alone mended by a 25-year-old street lad. I was amazed at his expertise .he told me that his name was Ahmed and he studied in the evening while earned approximately Rs.500 every morning, if it’s a good day, doing chores for people like me. I gave him Rs.200 and left my card with him instructing him to come to my office after a week .he readily agreed.


The next day I went to the same shop and got my repaired cellular phone exchanged for a newer cheaper model and the balance 4000 which I got, I kept for ahmed .I must say that the exchange took quite a lot of altercation but I was adamant so I called up a couple of “resourceful” friends who had been their customers already to further mediate on my behalf. If Ahmed comes within the next couple of days, not only will he get the money but I will ensure that he gets a job in the morning somewhere to support his ailing mother and sister. After all a couple of phone calls can do wonders anywhere especially in Karachi.


There are zillions of kinds of beggars but they all have one thing in common. They all make a lot of money. They either do it themselves or have many people under their “able guidance” to accumulate the wealth for them. Either way they earn at least 8,000 - 9,000 a month !!!!. The fact that some policemen as payola deprive them of their “hard earned money” is another fact but this is a colossal amount considering the fact that a clerk or a secretary earns considerably less than this.


Then there are beggars who are categorized on the basis of the area they use as their target vicinity .for instance a beggar from gulshan iqbal would be happy if he gets 5 rupees but if he dwells in Clifton he’d probably give you a disgusted look when you give him anything below the denomination of 10 rupees which would make you want to go drown yourself in a small pool.


You might actually contemplate engaging yourself in the same profession seriously when you see the bundle of 5’s and 10’s in his hand and you should be confident that with a little luck plus your University degree, no sane person can deny the fact that u can earn at least Rs.25, 000 - Rs.30, 000 per month. Furthermore your presentation skills and projects would account to a good PR and next time you are passing a cross- section, a man stops you and hands you a 100 rupee bill .it is only after he has left that u realize that he is the same person you cursed brutally the very first time you went out on streets. Since then he has been your avid disciple.


Then there are always those wearing that carefully sewn kurta with those Lilliputian colorful frazzles which if otherwise bought from tariq road would cost around Rs.1500/- and definitely cost something around Rs.6000/- plus at any designers outlet or the likes of Aamir Adnan or aaijaz. . The dexter bum carries the burning charcoal, and sprinkling god knows what over it, trounces our defenses without wasting his precious time .


he comes and start smoking your lungs out and as soon as your tears start to run, you realize that resistance is futile and you find it comfortable to give him some money than to sit back and tell him to look for work for he is not handicapped or something. Plus you don’t want to die of suffocation at such a ripe age .you noticed the lust in his eyes when he parted but you pretended that you didn’t notice the look .The scarlet evil look betrayed his disposition as if to say; “ this should be enough for today’s dope ”.


this concludes here but i recently heard about this Beggar who has his own HOnda . Ill snoop around and tell you about it soon .