Please locate my Papa!

No no, I am not asking you to locate my Papa!

Its an incident that I witnessed yesternight while shopping for stuff my mum wanted me to bring along while going home. I was late, time was around 8:30 pm. I was heading towards chemist shop. Saw a cute little girl, not more than 2 years old. First glance, and all I thought was cute baby! But hey hang on Shine! What is this cute baby doing all alone at this time in the middle of the pavement. I started noticing her and could sense that she was feeling lost. Her hand movement and gestures were as if she was really scared.

I cannot keep quite. If I feel something is wrong I ask or show or do something, I just don't care if it will lead me in soup. So what if I land up in trouble, I did not do it with a bad intent. I only wanted to help and sort things out.

That's what I did. I held her hand and asked where is your mom?? dad?? What are you doing here all alone??

She was perplexed and said that Papa went out to get the medicine.

Ok.. So do u see our papa at the two medical stores located nearby? I pointed at the medical stores nearby.

No, she said and unknowingly and confused she started walking towards a secluded end. I was sure that she has lost her way. I again held her, and clearly intending not to let her go unless I manage to find her way back home.

I asked, where do you stay?

She replied Ghanta Ghar.

Sigh, its a place known to me. What should I do now, should I call up 100 or call up my dad! I called my dad, network problem! Huh, third attempt and I got through. He picked up, and I told him, Papa there is a little girl and her father is lost somewhere. Come to this place. And then came a quick ok. I am coming, tell me where exactly are you.

The moment I hung up the call, the girl started crying. My papa is lost!

Don't worry we will locate him.

How did you come here?? Were you in a bike? or car?

I was in the car.

Ok! Who all were in the car?

Just me and my papa, she said. And now she held my hand with a belief that I am not going to harm her.

Do you know the number of your car? or your papa's mobile number or home phone number.

No I don't!

Ok, so lets locate the car first. Is that fine??

Yes, she said.

What colour is the car?

White.

Great. By this time I was confused myself. But anyhow. I started moving towards the direction where she was coming from. I asked is your car that side. She said yes!

And I could see a few men on the road, confused and trying to locate something. I wished that there should be her dad. Yeah there he was, upset, nearly about in tears! He might have asked those local shop owners about the girl and they might have told him that she stepped out of the car and went out.

The moment he saw his daughter he was relieved and asked her why did you come out of the car? He looked at me, and thanked. I said that's ok! As I turned back, I was still apprehensive if he is her dad or no. I looked back again and the expressions on his dad's face swanned that he is her dad for sure. He looked at me again and thanked again.

Great... So probably I got late, or I had to get the stuff that my mum asked for probably only to help that girl find her papa.

I called my dad, no need to come, we found her papa :D

Author's Note: I did not speak to her papa, but still he should have never left a child alone in the car! I was thinking why to get judgemental when a person in experiencing an emotional turmoil? This incident might have taught him this lesson. The first thing I did was to call up my mamaji (my mum's brother), who has a 1.5 year old child. It was a lesson that I learned, and just wanted to caution him about it.

Moreover I also noticed that no civilian these days seem to be cautious about the fact that a child is moving around without any care taker, they just want to rush home and dont care if they can be of help. They are more bothered about the soup they may land up in. Well that is what that can be expected of them. One has to fight the threat alone, but can we expect this out of a child?

P.S.: When I told my Mum about the incident. She loaded me with stories of her childhood where she lost her way, my mamaji was about to get kidnapped / lost. I was scared. Its really a big responsibility to take care of a child. We get to read frequently about the plight of people who have lost their child and never found back.