The other side of the coin!

The other side of the coin
I came across this on internet and it touched me:

It was a very busy street and I was strolling down to my house after a hectic day in office. With a thoughtless mind I was just walking down. Everybody was seems to be in some kind of hurry to go somewhere, without carring where to go. They were just going somewhere, and since I was also a part of that crowd, I was also just going. Suddenly I felt a tap on my back. At first I did not notice it (or may be unconsciously I ignored it), then someone held my hand and pulled it sideward. I suddenly turned towards it. It was a young boy, in a shabby dress, and trying to make a pitiable look on his face.
I asked him "What? What do you want?"
He was a beggar and was asking for some money. I instantly refused; I have always been against young beggars like him. They are the future of nation, and by begging no nation can progress.
"saab please give me some thing, otherwise my young sister will die. Please saab" he asked in a more pitiable manner.
I gave him a disgusting look and said "I know you people very well, these are your tactics of begging, I wont give you anything and now go away from here".
He held my sleeves and pulled "No saab, please give me something. It has been entire day, and I could not get money even to feed my little sister. Please saab" this time he burst into tears. And I could make out those were not fake tears in his eyes.
I stopped and looking into his eyes, " What is your name?"
"Ramu", he said.
"Ramu, why don't you leave begging and study? That way one day you can also earn for your family."
He swept his eyes and said softly, "My little sister and my mother both are sick, and father has deserted us long before, I can not afford to go to school, first I have to save my family."
I did not have courage to ask him, why he had not been working. He was too young to work.
I was steered and speechless, I stood there motionless for a moment, and then took him to the side of road.
I took out 100 rupees note and handed over to him.
"take it and get some food for your family. And promise me you will start going to school once your mother and sister are alright."
He took that note and looked at me. All emotionless.
I was trying to read him, but nothing was clear. I just turned back and started walking again to my house.
It was just two steps I could complete before I felt another tap on my back and I turned back suddenly...
It was the same boy, came in front of me and said, this time more confidently "saab, I can not go to school"
I said confusingly "why? what happened?"
"saab you are the first person who paid any attention to my problems. Nobody ever bothered to stay for me for even a moment. But you stayed back and listened to me, I can not lie to you. I can not go to school as I'll need money for that. And I am the only person earning in my family, my life started with begging, and will end with it. Saab once I tried to work with an auto garage also, but I was beaten badly for a theft that I did not do? saab everybody suspects helpless persons only. Now you tell me what should I do in this situation?"
He left a big question mark. What should he do now? I did not have an answer. It was only then I realized how difficult is it to promise him anything.
"Saab I know you can not help me more, I don't expect also, I just talked to you so much, because this is the first time I had a chance to say something about myself, I'll go now, I need to get some more money today."
And he fledaway, and started begging to someone else.
I kept looking at him, he was again trying all sorts of tactics to get some money.
I again started walking down to my home. But now with lots of questions floating in my mind. Lots of why's popping up in mind, one after the other. I did not have any clear answers for them.
It is so easy to talk about reforms, education, jobs, security, food, health etc etc. But how many of us bother to go and see the real problems of majority of our fellow society members facing. I could not help that little boy more than money. But what he needed was not money, not just money. Perhaps he wants a right to live a free life. How can a society be called independent when its members are not free from birth.Where does our promise for equal opportunities go, when it come to help poor?
Why Ramu had to beg from childhood, for his family?
There were lot many why's hitting my mind and I did not have any answers to them
Now I was lying in the bed but could not sleep. I was having glimpses of my childhood, and what I saw today.
Two different sides of the same coin... life!