“A Help in need is a Help Indeed”-Kamakshi Verma

Originally from Uttar Pradesh, Zubaida now lived with her husband Rahat and two children, Arham and Monis, in Kandivali, Mumbai. Her husband used to work in a shoe manufacturing factory, which was unpredictably closed during the long periods of lockdown. Rahat’s income, although less, was sufficient to provide them with their daily bread and butter, but now, the only source of their family’s income had also vanished, leaving the entire family in the midst of hopelessness and starvation!

 During the pandemic, Zubaida and Rahat, both were unemployed. During the initial periods of lockdown, Zubaida used to beg food from her neighborhood houses, but no one ever opened the doors, no one even responded! She used to weep bitterly, cry for help and a helping hand…… But no hand ever came!

Until the very day when she met the team of HWCT. We were distributing food in some other streets of Kandivali. After distributing food to a 75-year old couple, we were about to leave, when something stopped us!

It was Zubaida’s cries and pleading! She was standing at the end of the street, looking desperately at us and the left packaged food items in our hands. She hurried towards our volunteer van. A new shine reflected in her eyes! She was hopeful! She came near us, veiling her face to cover her nose as she was not wearing a mask. She told us her entire story! After she ended, we firstly provided her with a mask and then we followed her to her house with bags filled with food packets and groceries!

At her home, Arham and Monis were lying straight on the bed. Their eyes were focused on the roof of the house or probably on the sky beyond that concrete roof….. An open sky! They were also desperate, just like their mother…. Desperate for help…… desperate for food…. desperate for a “miracle”. The miracle just happened…… We provided the family with sufficient food and ration. They were overjoyed by the mere thought that today they will be having a hearty meal, after such a long time! They thanked us for our help. We felt happy for them! We were just about to leave when Zubaida held the hands of one of our volunteers and said, “Allah Tumhara Bhala Kare” and with this a large drop of tear rolled from her cheek. These were not the tears of sorrow or hopelessness…. These were the tears of “hope” and “blissfulness”…