Two Minutes of Freedom

The pole was standing in the middle of that ground, the ground which belonged to the open space where money was exchanged for food and the food which filled the bellies of people who already had their bellies inflated and coming between their hearts and feet. He was stationed in that area to fill up the empty glasses of those big bellies. He ran around with jugs full of a liquid necessary for human existence. So in essence his existence was necessary for human existence or rather I should say his work was necessary for human existence. But whose existence, those who already had their bellies of the size of big round bongos, those who already existed in the world. 

Perplexed by this question of existence she was wondering on the who is whose reason of existence, when she suddenly came to my senses on hearing "Madam, paani." He was standing in front of her with a jug in his hand. She smiled and nodded in return. He put some water into the glass and turned to go back to his station. His steps were as usual fast yet steady. But while going back he took a small detour. He caught hold of that alone standing pole in the middle of that ground and took two full 360 deg circles around it. And then went back to his usual track. He did this twice while she was there munching on those hot paneer paranthas.

Her eyes were set on that pole now. Well not all the time, but whenever she got a chance to look at the pole she did. Now she wanted to see his face, while he was in contact of that pole and in full swing taking or making those rounds. It seemed he was enjoying those circles. It was as if he was running for those rounds, those circles only, the job of giving water just the job, not him. He was more than that. And in that space he was those circles around that pole and that pole the symbol of his two minutes of freedom. 

She went back to the same place for food after two weeks. The pole in the middle of that open space, was also now in the middle of a round table. The pole was also sun-protected by a plastic umbrella fixed at the top. "And he, where is he?" she thought. Her eyes looked around for that young boy, but couldn't find him. She went to the counter, inside the round concrete building where that space's owner sat. She was going to ask the owner, when she heard that tapping sound. It came from the corner where utensils were being washed.
She didn't pay much heed to it and went ahead asking the owner "Bhaiya, woh ladka jo paani dalta tha kahan gaya." He smilingly greeted her and replied "Madam, woh raha." pointing towards the same area from where that tap came.
He was there, busy in washing utensils. That tap sound again came in some time. Before she could ask anything, the owner himself said "Ye yahin thik hai, baahar customers ke saamne sambhaalna mushkil ho jaata hai. Oye aavaaz mat kar." The sound stopped for some time. She stood there thinking about something. Owner asked "Madam, aapka order?" She was going to say when the same tap resonated again in her ears. She started smiling and said "Nahin bhaiya, ab yahan ka paani mujhe suit nahin karta."