Where The Streets Have No Name And The Faces Tell A Tale

Searching for soul on the streets

Walking down familiar streets and familiar sights but never looking at them. Never actually looking at them. Till that one moment. Someone catches your eye. Their raw humanity tugs at your heart strings, whispering life lessons. Lessons that have been repeated over and over. And you finally stop to look, listen and learn.

She was combing her matted hair using the tiny mirror of the parked bike. The streets are her home. She smiles her shy, toothless smile and poses for me.

Life Lesson : Never give up on yourself, no matter the age or the stage.

Her back may be bent, but her spirit remains unbroken. She carries the frailty of age and poverty on her stooped shoulders with the gentleness and strength of a sage.

Life Lesson : Let not the burden you carry define you.

He has probably been driving his taxi cab for many hours at a stretch and stopped for a light refreshment. Looking at the simple freshness of his clothes and appearance, one would never guess at the rigours of his job.

Life Lesson : Take a break from the drudgery and recharge yourself, even if only for a little while.

She was segregating the garbage methodically. Her hair was neatly pinned and her sari skillfully tied under her work clothes, surrounded by overflowing litter bins.

Life Lesson : Perform your duties with dignity and diligence always.

So much to absorb. So much to admire. So much to appreciate.

Three signed, first edition copies available. Want one? Click here.

Alisha “Priti” Kirpalani is the author of ‘Out With Lanterns’, a discovery of life, love and everything in between, traditionally published by Readomania (available on Kindle Unlimited).

Earlier, she has published “A Smattering Of Darkness: Short and Shorter Twisted Tales,” (available on Kindle Unlimited) a collection of short stories of varying lengths encapsulating the grey shades of the human psyche.