Lost Future - II

Can there be an appropriate color to paint a child’s misery?

These children are also the future of Pakistan. But unlike other children, they will not become doctors or engineers even though many of them might dream of becoming one. They too want to go to schools and live a normal life like any other child. However, their treacherous path will lead them either to becoming criminals or joining the flesh trade. Street children are everywhere around us. ‘From the moment we step out of our houses, these homeless children can be found scanning our garbage, begging on the streets or standing at traffic signals to clean the windows of our cars. My heart bleeds for them .............

Walking barefoot on cold pavements, these children of a lesser god wander aimlessly among us. We routinely honk them away at first sight on traffic signals, casually dismissing their hungry yet innocent faces with a swap of the hand or a menacing look for daring to venture near us like flies swarming over warm food.