Autobiography of a One-Rupee Coin
I am a one — rupee coin frequently shuttled, exchanged and juggled by people in India I have two faces, one which has the ‘number one’ inscribed on it and the other side has the ‘Ashoka stamp’ shown on it. I am a favorite coin with people, used by everyone to add just one or minus one.
I was lying in the purse of a wealthy banker, who regularly visited temple. After the prayers when he came out of the temple he offered me as part of alms to a poor beggar. Oh my god! It was a total contrast, from a soft little pocket in the purse to the shapeless dirty bowl! The poor beggar when had some collection for a good meal, paid me to a street food vendor. I was with him for a few days in his coin box, among some old and some young coins. Soon, I was in the soft hands of a little school boy who came to buy a snack. In his pocket, I traveled to his school, attended his classes and enjoyed the games he played with his class mates. I suddenly wished I was a little child … When he was back from school he forgot to pick me. I was dipped in soap water when his shorts were put to wash. It was pretty cold there and I kept praying that someone let me out. The maid of the house while washing found me and thanked her luck! She immediately packed me inside her sarce, knotted & tucked, doing her chores. I was chocking inside! She later put me in her savings in a little tin. Her son played with the tin, shaking & tossing me and dropped the tin. I was thrown out to the courtyard when the lid of the tin went off.
In the courtyard I was lying unnoticed for a while and found by the maid while sweeping. She finished her chores, carried me with her to the temple nearby. She held me with her prayed and put me inside the ‘hundi’. There I was among many other friends listening to bells and songs. Today, I am a little dull, faded, lying in the darkness of an older drawer after changing so many hands.
