It was a sultry afternoon, despite the fact that the mercury had been waning down for the past few days. Everything around gave a sullen look. I watched at the passers-by, their sombre predicaments being manifest. The fence in the front sent out metallic protrusions through the ambient air as if delivering a message.

In the meantime, the man served us the order in the arcade of the juice shop. It was my usual chocolate shake. Still not bored with it, I mused! I took a sip of it. Having liked the savour, I kept it aside for being galloped in one go while my friend sitting beside continued sipping his juice.

All of a sudden, two urchins appeared before us. Their scanty and rugged attires were an overt manifestation of their plight. They started with their usual jargon of words. I told them that I never refused alms to anybody, but I didn't have any money that day. This did not inhibit their entreating for money. I put my fingers in the mini-pocket of my jeans in order to check for any stray coin resting over there. But there was none.

Fully convinced about my impecunious state, they stopped beseeching. Then suddenly, one of them glanced at the shake put aside. In no time, he raised his hand pointing towards the glass and started pleading for the shake. For the first time, I noticed their pallid countenances. Unable to resist their supplant whimpering, I picked up the glass and handed it to one of them. He swilled over the glass as if hungry for ages. The other boy snatched the glass and enjoyed the feast with no less craze. Hastily, they both finished the glass amidst fierce jostling. Still not satiated, one of them immersed his hand in the glass to catch hold of the foamy sediment. After licking each and every whit, they left the crystal-clear glass and swerved away.

The world around us is so replete with pangs of pain, suffering, anguish, poverty, and death that even if we wish, we cannot insulate ourselves from them. But by helping others, we can infuse a sense of purpose in living our lives. Without seeking any returns for our attempts at altruism, we should ease off others' difficulties. Moreover, to preserve our sanity against the harsh exposures of reality, it would be helpful to realize that though we may be guilty of inhabiting this cruel world, at least we are absolved of the blame of sustaining it.