Unclaimed body

It was dusk time and I was returning from my college. The Chowk near my house was surrounded by people. When I deboarded my auto I witnessed blood stains and dispersed peanuts on the roadside with a police van standing nearby. This was one of the busiest chowks of Vaishali. It was clearly evident that some major accident had taken place. People were murmuring something. After carefully listening to them I figured out that a truck driver lost his control due to break failure and hit the vendor who used to sell peanuts and popcorns. The vendor had died on the spot. The policemen were inquiring about the vendor. After taking sufficient information about the incident I moved to my home.

Sitting in my balcony from where the chowk was clearly visible I couldn’t stop myself from thinking about the vendor. I remember he had been selling peanuts and popcorns at that chowk for over past ten years, but he couldn’t grow older over these years. Possibly because he had started looking his present age ten years back itself. Short hair, light stubble, dark brown complexion, dirty and torn cloths of Khadi, and a worn our pair of slippers are what I remember him sporting throughout these years.

Seldom I had seen him smiling. I could see him moving in balcony or in my way while going somewhere. Daily he would appear on the chowk at around 4 pm and stay in the vicinity till 9-10 pm depending upon the weather. Leaving me wondering where does he come from and where does he disappear. Every time I saw him an army of questions used to surround me. Does he live somewhere nearby or does he moves up and down daily from a distant place. How big (or small) is his family, does he have one? Is he able to make both the ends meet? Most importantly how does he earn his living when its not the season of peanuts? I could never go and ask him all these questions though I always wanted to. 

Well returning to the present. His body remained unclaimed for about a week. Despite the fact that almost everyone in Vaishali recognized him but no one actually “knew” about him. At the end the merciful MCD cremated him under government expenses. At least this much can be done by the government of a developing nuclear power, what if they are not able to provide a two time meal to the starving poor fighters. 
How strange it sounds, that he has been selling peanuts at that chowk for more than ten years and no-one knew anything about him. I doubt if anyone knew even his name. He remained ignored like an old building. Society and individuals are complimentary to each other then how can our society be so much negligent towards anybody. Or is it that poor don’t form a part of our society. Present day society seems to be a cluster of selfish individuals. In an attempt of progressing we have completely forgotten that society is a place for human interactions and not material transactions. Today when every one is confined to one’s own comforts only, I feel the dead vendor’s silence asks us……. 

Is this what we call “Society”?

PNB & Single window clearance (or lets call it How to withdraw Rs 32000 from PNB?)

Once you enter nearby PNB branch, randomly choose one customer (don’t look for any sign board or indication) & ask him where to withdraw money. He/she will indicate you towards a counter where atleast 20 people are in queue. Second option is to directly choose a queue where minimum 20 people are standing to withdraw money. Choice is entirely yours as now-a-days many organisations provide maximum number of choice to customer so as PNB.  Once you decided to stand in a particular queue don’t be sure that you’re in the right queue. Observe carefully other people in the queue, like what they have in their hand & is anybody withdrawing money form the same counter your in queue to confirm that you in right queue. Normally, it takes minimum 40 to 45 minutes to reach to the customer care executive so don’t be panic rather plan what you going to do this weekend or play video game in your cell phone to pass time. But don’t observe PNB employee & how they are dealing with customers, it will only increase your frustration. Once you reach to person sitting inside counter, you may come to know that this counter is for the payment of less than Rs 25,000 & you’re carrying a cheque of Rs 32000. Don’t argue or show your frustration to the person because they will consider it a fight & as you know fighting with government employee is illegal which is punishable as par constitution (be careful!!). Rather I will suggest you to ask him politely with a smile on your face where is the counter to withdraw more than Rs 25000. And, as he is very busy person (surely the only hardworking employee in PNB in his imagination), he will reply to you without looking at your face-“Sharma ji k Paas!!” Be careful he is not going to repeat it.

Now, your search begins from here. How fast you’re going to find Sharma ji is depends upon your experience & intelligence. You will be fool if you’re looking for any name plate that contains Sharma. This is a random selection process where you go to one of the PNB employee who is setting idle (Forget the rule for few seconds that everybody is busy in PNB) & ask him politely who is Sharma ji as you have to withdraw money. But I will suggest you to call him Uncle or Bhai Saahab as it is more bonding & preferred by PNB employees than Sir. After repeating same query 3-4 times he will response you by moving his head towards right or left. Now it all depends on you that whether your goanna repeat same question after few seconds of pause or choose another employee. Choice is yours but repeating to same employee will save your time though you’re going to annoy him. And he will reply with frustration in his face, “Counter number 3”. Don’t look for a sign board that has written counter number 3 or don’t dare to ask him again. Now what you have to do is look at the entrance door & count third employee or counter from right side or left side. Finally you have two options (third from right side of door or third from left side of door) one of which is Sharma ji & selection of right one is based upon probability where chance of choosing Sharma ji at first is 50% otherwise on second attempt you will get the right person i.e. Sharma ji.

Again stand in a queue of around 5-7 people because most of the peoples are withdrawing less than Rs 25000 & you can feel that you are a privileged customer as you have to stand in a queue of only 5-7 people where others are standing in the queue of minimum 20 people to withdraw money. Once you reached to person sitting inside counter he will ask you for Token instead of cheque. For you information, before going to counter no. 3 where you can withdraw more than Rs 25000, you have to go another counter where they will receive your cheque & give you a Token. You have to carry this token & show it to the sharma ji at counter no. 3 that is, withdraw more than Rs25000 counter. For the sake of easy process they do this!!!! Now, million dollar question is where to find or how to find Token counter????  This time use your brain, don’t look for idle PNB employee instead ask person behind you in the queue & he will show you the right counter. Go there, stand in queue, get Token & again stand last in the same queue where you were first few minute earlier to withdraw money. After straggle of around 2 hours, you will get your own money from PNB. The positive part of this experience is you will understand the value of your own money & develop a serenity inside you which will help you throughout life.