Its the ramzan season and yesterday i went to charminar with a muslim friend, just to give him company for breaking fast. The place was crowded and noisy. And i was waiting in front of a good restaurant there while my friend took off to get money from an atm. I was waiting there in middle of chaos, admiring the young energetic and well dressed muslim brothers and watching the women clad in burqa begging for zaqat and i saw this little girl with wild eyes. She was also asking for alms along with her little sister. She was cute and had a charming way of reordering her head scarf once in a while. During all these wealthy muslim men were walking in and out of the restaurant and they were either ignoring these women or giving them some small change like 50 paise. Comon yaar they are supposed to give 2.5 percent of their annual income as zakat. I made a mental calculation. Surely these fellows will be having an annual income above 3 lakh per annum. And taking into account 30 days of ramzan and if they give alms to 25 people a day they can give 10Rs to each of them. Every other word in the scriptures are followed, but not this one.
After some more time the girls duo came to me. I gave both of them little 5 rupee coins. I considered them as friends and wanted to lighten up their faces, at least for an instance. And they ran away with the coins, may be happily. And one minute later they came back. And the smallest of the girl started telling me that her sister is ill and she was asking for more alms. I know this habit very well but was not expecting it from such small children. I know that at heart they are pure. I saw a tinge of shame in the elder ones eyes. I asked her name and she told me its reshma. My first dialogue with a real eponine. But then they continued pestering me and i have to take refuge in the restaurant. At that point i treated them like beggars, instead of talking to them as friends. And i feel bad. I pray for their happiness.

It happens that i have a friend who is a war monger. He advocates for war and says that war is needed for the advancement of human civilization. And he quotes bloody examples. If there is any body who suffers the same delusions i would suggest Anne Franks diary. It doesnt have any description of war as such but i am sure it will cure those fellows.