Generosity the Outcasts

 In the two years since moving to the village, Meena and her husband had settled well into their new life. Their village lay far away from the city, peaceful but isolated. They were now blessed with a baby girl and their little family finally felt complete.

Those were the times when maternity leave lasted only three months. To care for her baby while she returned to work, Meena had arranged for a young woman named Rani from a nearby village. She paid Rani in advance and even gave her some food and clothes. Meena didn’t own a mobile phone, so there was no way for her to check on the baby while she was away.

Barely fifteen minutes after Meena’s departure, the baby fell into a deep sleep. Rani, bored and restless, decided to take a walk in the fields. Soon, she too dozed off under a tree. A few minutes later, the baby woke up crying loudly.

Just then, Baijo happened to be passing by. Through her hazy, drunken state, she noticed the closed door and heard the baby’s cries. Seeing no one around, she wondered where Meena or Rani could be. She picked up and comforted the baby, then searched the entire house and surroundings but found no one. Fearing for the child’s safety, Baijo took the baby back to her own small hut.

Baijo was well known in the village as the local drunkard. Years ago, her husband had left her, and in her heartbreak she had fallen into depression and alcoholism. She lived alone in a tiny hut, barely surviving on the little she earned from odd jobs, spending most of it on alcohol.

Looking around her hut, she found nothing suitable to feed the baby. With a heavy heart, she took one of her precious bottles of liquor and sold it for a small amount of cash. With that money, she bought a packet of milk, diluted it, and fed the hungry child. The baby soon drifted back to sleep and exhausted, Baijo too fell asleep beside her.

Meanwhile, Meena, anxious about her baby, returned home earlier than usual — only to find the cradle empty and Rani in tears, frantically searching for the missing child. Meena’s anguished cries soon echoed through the village, drawing the attention of the neighbors, who began forming search parties.

Startled awake by the commotion, Baijo instantly realized what had happened. She carefully lifted the sleeping baby in her arms and hurried toward Meena’s house, apologizing as she went.

When Meena heard the full story, she was deeply moved. Grateful for Baijo’s kindness, she embraced her, thanking her for protecting her child. Gently, she urged Baijo to give up alcohol and promised that once she was sober, she could come live with them to help care for the baby.

Inspired by True Events.

 This post is a part of Blogchatter Half Marathon.