His name is Ram Kumar, and he works as a Chintan waste-recycler in Tansen Marg, near Bengali Market. I met him on Friday and shadowed his route. Midway, he parked his rickshaw in an alley and asked me with a smile: "Pepsi or Coke?"
At first, I was a little thrown back and I kept respectfully declining. I was also sick at the time, so soda wouldn't have been my natural choice of drink anyway. Yet, he kept insisting and finally bought me a Pepsi with the approximately 2000 rs (roughly US$40) that he earns in one month. As he walked towards the drink stand, I contemplated chasing after him to offer to pay for both our drinks, but I chose to stay put. I was certain I made the right choice when the elderly waste-picker came walking back beaming with pride as he handed over that bottle of soda to me. In a country where street children and women in stained saris tug on your shirt for change and food, where auto-wallas and storekeepers shamelessly try to 'fleece' or cheat you, this wastepicker spent half of his daily earnings to buy me a Pepsi. Talk about having self-dignity. Thoughts?
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P.S. After he finished his route, Ram offered to buy me tea and lunch, but this time I politely declined, said my goodbyes and thank yous, and made a move for the office. Part of it was due to my fear of drying up his savings, the other part was due to how awkward our table talk would have been given my 10-Hindi phrases vocab limit.
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