A Daily Ordeal

The scorching heat is particularly relentless today. I remark to myself as I sit down on the ground for my lunch. I open my bundle and look longingly at what I see inside. Just the one chapati for the day, I suppose we must be running out of ration and the kids had to go to school today as well. Initially, I used to find it tough to eat at the construction site but I'm used to the dust filled air now. Besides, it's not as if I have any other choice. "Baba! Baba!" The kids are here. I ruffle with their hair as they jump into my lap. "How was school my bachas?" "It was nice baba" "What did your teacher teach you today" "baba today, she taught us about fundamental rights in civics" "what in the world is that?" "Arey baba it's what every citizen in India is entitled to. Right to equality, Right to freedom, A right against exploitation. Things such as this" "Abey oh Ramesh! Pure din bacho se hi baat karna hai toh ghar pe baith chup chap" (Ramesh! If you want to talk to your kids, just stay at home then. Don't bother coming for work.) I guess my break is over earlier than I had expected it to be. "Ok chalo bacha log you go eat lunch your mom must be waiting for you." "Baba when will you come home?" Since we are running out of ration, I will have to stay for the night and work extra shifts at the sight for a few days. "I don't know, the two of you go. I'll see you soon, pakka" The children leave, I tie my bandage across my waist and get back to work. Oddly enough, I keep going back to the conversation I had with them earlier. We, are entitled to rights? All of us? A right against exploitation? I doubt something like that exists, the kids must be mistaken. Initially, I was promised that I will spend eight hours on the site every day and get to go visit my village twice a month. Now, I work for eleven hours without any extra financial compensation. Whenever I ask for any, sahib says that he will kick me out and get someone else instead. It has been four months since I have seen the farmlands of my village. I still don't know how Amma's health is now, I can just pray that she is better. How then can the kids say we have a right against exploitation I can't understand. Some pondering over work helps me find the answer. The rights that the kids were talking about, they're not for me. They're probably just for sahib, Bada sahib and their kids.