It was March 31, The end of the financial year. I was busy with last-minute payment and receipt calculations. At around 8 PM, I took leave of the office. As an evening snack, I was handed over an egg roll, the most common street food in Bengal. I was not at all interested in inserting the oily roll into my stomach so late in the evening. I put the roll in my tiffin box. I started walking through the road leading to the rail station. 

The spring was calling adieu. Long and searing summer was knocking on the door. I was feeling relaxed after a busy month. In earlier days, we had to work the entire night on the financial year end. Now the things have been more systemised, leading to higher financial prudence. 

The late-evening train was thinly crowded. I sat on a window seat. The wind of early summer was blowing from south to north. Vendors were loudly selling variety of products. The rail line passes through meadows and small human settlements. 

A girl of around ten years old boarded the train. She wore an old skirt with a tiny vanity bag on her shoulder. She was pleading with the passengers for monetary help . Her hair was matted. Her complexion was wheaty. I signalled her to sit beside me. She complied. 

I took out the egg roll and handed it to her. Her face lights up. She opened her tiny bag. The bag was already filled with roti and vegetable curry, given to her by a kind-hearted gentleman. Goodness has still not left this planet. There is still some hope for us. 

The little girl stuffed the egg roll in her bag. With a smile on her face, she said that she would share the food with her family. I started chatting with the girl. Her father suffered from an accident. To help the family, she travels to the town every afternoon to collect plastic packets and discarded plastic bottles. By collecting those scraps, she earns a few rupees. I was seeing the young kid with fatherly affection. 

Does she go to school? Yes, she goes to school. Once a week, eggs are served to her at a midday meal. I felt guilty. We, as a society, failed to give this little girl the life she deserves. 

Suddenly the girl rose up and ran to the gate. She dragged herself down the platform and lost in the darkness. 

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