Dan the Don: Hunger

I was in my 7^th standard when that incident happened. It was something I would or could never forget. It was a Saturday in the month of November of the year 2000. I don’t remember the exact date though. I was in school then.

Usually Saturdays are holidays for us and in case there is school, it will be a half working day. I was sitting in the Hindi class room, which was in the first floor of our school. Around 11.30 AM we got a circular that, the school hours were to be extended till 4 pm as against the usual closing time of 2 pm.

The circular came in as a shock for me as I had not brought my lunch. My Hindi teacher, as if reading my mind, told us that students those who have not brought lunch could go and order lunch in the office room. I checked my pockets and as fate would have it, I had no money. I had left my purse at home. I felt lost.

A few of my class mates went to the office room to order for lunch. The rest had brought lunch and I was sitting in the class room with them, not knowing what to do. The clock ticked and it was 12.30 pm, our lunch time. I didn’t have the courage to ask money to any of my friends nor my teacher to go and order food, nor was I brave enough to ask for food from the friends who had brought lunch. Everyone around me was eating, while I was sitting clueless engulfed in a fire of hunger.

It was the hardest half an hour of my life. Some of my friends offered me their food, but I denied it, for reasons I don’t fathom. One of my friends then asked,

“You could‘ve ordered lunch and got it from the office room, why didn’t you”

“Well.. I’m not feeling hungry, moreover I fast on Saturdays”, I lied.

“Oh fasting, well, you could still ordered for one packet and given it to me.. anyways it was offered for free, right ?”

“What ?? Free ?? weren’t you charged for this?”

“No.. why would they charge for this ?”

“Oh! My god !” saying, I immediately got up from my desk. It was 1 Pm by then and the school bell rang, indicating that lunch time was over and that the next period had started.

I had been someone who could never withstand hunger, so I ran straight to the office room. Our friendly peon was sitting there,

“Sir… food… hungry… I want to order” I told him as I was breathing heavily after the run.

“Oh no my boy… all the food packets just got over now… you should have come at least five minutes earlier” he was apologetic.

“Sir… is nothing left?”

“No dear… am sorry, why didn’t you order before ? Are you hungry? Wait let me go to the nearby hotel and get food for you”

“No… no… thanks sir… I just… that’s ok…” I didn’t know what to say to him.

.“I would get it for you, wait. You can’t be without eating lunch, you would faint” he insisted

“No sir, thanks” I came out of the office room. I didn’t know what to do. I ran to the rest room and washed my face removing the traces of tear from my face.

I came out and drank some water and slowly, without any energy walked up the stairs to my Hindi class. I entered the class room and found some-one talking to my Hindi teacher. As I entered that someone turned back.

“Mom… what are you doing here?” I was surprised to see my mom standing in my class.

“I was about to have lunch at home. But I couldn’t eat, something within me was troubling me. I felt that you hadn’t eaten anything. My senses told me that you were hungry. So I packed lunch for you, drove my cycle for five kilometres and reached your school. When I got here, I came to know that school has been extended till 4 pm and you haven’t had lunch yet. What is this ? Why didn’t you order the food in the office room ?” she asked me.

“Cos I know you will bring lunch for me, Mom!” I hugged her tightly as I shed tears of joy.