Why shouldn't you throw food..

It happened when I was a young man (or was I a boy? Dunno exactly, may be a boy) of 18 years in 1984. I was returning from Hindustan Copper Ltd., Khetri Nagar (Rajasthan) where I was a vacation trainee during my summer break at college. It was a kind of apprenticeship which I thoroughly enjoyed. My first taste of earning other than what dad used to send me. I had excess cash and didn’t know how to spend.

I landed at Delhi while heading back home. I was feeling hungry after a long bus journey on a hot summer day. I traveled on but top. All people in Rajasthan travel on top of buses. Only ladies and kids who could not climb the monkey ladder behind the bus, traveled inside buses. I was wondering why people rode on tops. Perhaps the breeze that offered solace from hot weather. But it was still hotter in sun, still they sat on top of a bus on a mid day. It was kind of indication of masculinity to climb on a bus top. Crazy chaps.

So I looked around for a good hotel. I ordered some dishes. I think its dal fry and mutter paneer and rotis and lassi. I ate some of it and didn’t feel like eating more. So I was about to leave and almost got up. I was called softly by a man. He asked me to sit down.

I sat back wondering who was he! Prima facie, one can sense he was an educated man with a file in hand. He appeared to have hailed from a good family. He was about 25 hence somewhat senior to me.

I inquired whats the matter. He asked me if I had finished eating my meal. I said yes. He asked whether I could sit there until he ate the leftovers. I was shell-shocked. I thought he was joking. But he was serious.

He said his name was Tejinder and was an educated man from Punjab. He was in search of work in Delhi and yet to find a job. He had no money and slept in a friend’s house and ate in this hotel. He said the owner of this hotel wouldn’t mind if he ate the leftover food. He said you ate what you liked to eat and left some food. If you get up and go, the food will be dumped in the dustbin and I have to compete with dogs to eat the same food.

I was nearly reduced to tears. My heart molten. I was in a state of shock combined with utter disgust. I felt I was a wasteful person who didn’t know the value of money. I ordered same food again for the man and I also sat with him and ate what I was about to leave.