Encounter with the Third Kind

I never thought I would be writing a blog after such a long time, but something happened today that I wanted to tell it to the world.
For long time I have noticed Transgenders standing near the traffic signal, clapping their hands and asking for money and recently in past few years it has increased a lot in Bangalore. When we don’t give them the money, they misbehave with you, touch your private parts. I have always been irritated with this.
Today while traveling from office to home got caught in Rain, had to stop my vehicle and run towards shade. I happened to find shelter near a tea shop. I was standing there for a while. Lot of people where standing around me. My pant had drenched in rain and I was feeling cold because of it. I thought I should get some tea to warm myself up and turned around to order and saw a transgender right behind me, I suddenly became very uncomfortable and conscious. I stood there, lost in thoughts of all things that might happen if I don’t give the money.
I saw few people coming to shop, buy some tea and coffee. They referred the owner of the shop as aunty. I thought that some elderly woman runs the shop. When the rain almost stopped and people started moving. Thinking that the transgender would have left, I turned around to order some tea. I stood there in surprise and also was ashamed of myself, after what I saw. Transgender was the owner of the shop and I had just three words “akka ondu tea” (sister one tea). Tea was very good, but my attitude was bad. Later I brought some bonda, filled my stomach and paid her the money and left.
All the way home I was thinking about this, how wrong I was. But I had to really appreciate her, when people like her are begging for living, here she was selling tea coffee for living. Hats off to her.
And I have decided to have tea everyday in her shop…