[ WP ] The blind can see , just not in the way you 'd expect .

‘ He has a very sleepy conscience. ’ she said matter-of-factly. 
 ‘ Sure. ’ I said noncommittally. 
 ‘ I saw that he hesitated before giving that poor woman two rupees. ’ she said. ‘ He doesn ’ t think too highly about begging. He feels beggars are a waste of space. ’ 
 ‘ What? ’ I managed. 
 ‘ Yes, I saw it. ’ 
 ‘ What nonsense. ’ I said. A lot firmer than last time. She laughed. 
 ’ Oliur, I think you have a hard time believing that your friends have a sleepy conscience. ’ she declared. 
 ‘ I… I don ’ t know. I ’ ve never thought about that. ’ 
 ‘ Yes, yes you do. In fact, your sense of morality applies only to strangers. You ’ ll let a friend get away with wrongdoing because you ’ d much rather just stay friends with them instead of doing the right thing, which is to tell them off. That ’ s all right. Telling your friends off is one thing. Being there for them despite who they are, is another. They ’ re both admirable traits. ’ 
 ‘ I… Yes. Yes, maybe you ’ re right. It ’ s not worth the effort as I have very few friends. ’ I said shamefacedly. 
 She laughed again. ‘ Hm. ’ she added softly. 
 
 I felt I had disappointed her by agreeing to her assessment of me. She made a motion to be helped up. I nodded and finished up my Earl Grey. I motioned ‘ One second ’ with my fingers, and then hastily mouthed a ’ Gim me a second, ’. 
 
 I ran across to the kitchen sink and opened a little cellar door below it. It hid a dustbin inside. I disposed off my plastic cup in it headed towards her. She raised her hand for me to take it. I took it and guided her up and helped her walk through the room and out of the kitchen door. 
 
 ‘ Um- ‘ I started. 
 ‘ Yes? ’ she said quickly. 
 ‘ Er… since you can… since you can, you know, read stuff… I just wanted to say I ’ m not sympathetic of your condition. I ’ m just a little fidgety and careful. It ’ s why I ’ m er- ‘ I made my arms flail around, ‘ -awkward. ’ I finished awkwardly. 
 She laughed heartily. 
 ‘ No, no. You ’ re not a sympathiser. I know that. You know I know that. ’ 
 ‘ I - I did, I suppose. ’ 
 ‘ Then you said it because you wanted to hear me say you ’ re not a sympathiser? ’ she asked. It was not an accusatory question. It was just a question she wished to know the answer to. Propelled by mere curiosity. 
 ‘ Er-yes, that must have been it. ’ I said, mildly surprised with myself for admitting something so freely. 
 
 We had reached the guest room. I punched the pillows and straightened the sheets a little. It was my way of keeping busy while she slowly walked into the room. It was apparent to there now that I couldn ’ t keep still. I switched on the bedside lamp and then looked at her. A soft smile lit her face. She proceeded to sit on the bed. 
 
 ‘ Goodnight, Oliur. ’ she said. 
 ‘ Sure, yeah goodnight. ’ I said nodding my head vigourously. 
 
 I walked to the door and hung around. 
 
 ‘ Oliur ’ she said simply. 
 ‘ I - Yes. Yes? ’ I fumbled. 
 ‘ Oliur, it ’ s OK. ’ she said with the same soft smile. 
 ‘ It ’ s OK what? ’ 
 ‘ It ’ s OK that Omar is who he is. You needn ’ t apologise. ’ 
 ‘ Lakshmi, I… ’ 
 ‘ That ’ s the thing. He thinks he ’ s right about it. He feels this house is turning into a dharamsala for the poor, the handicapped and — ’ a pause. ‘ — the blind. ’ 
 ‘ No, Lakshmi, that ’ s — ‘ I couldn ’ t go on. She was saying all the stuff that was floating in my head. I wanted to make it go away so Lakshmi couldn ’ t see through me anymore. 
 ‘ It ’ s OK. I ’ ll live with it. I have to. It ’ s the least I can do to pay you back for what you do for people like me. ’ 
 
 Something about that sentence got me. She shouldn ’ t be talking like this, I thought. She needn ’ t be talking like this, I corrected myself. I walked up to her and kneeled on the floor in front of her. For the first time that whole night, I knew exactly what to say. 
 
 ‘ Lakshmi ’ I said. ‘ People like you are people like me. There aren ’ t kinds of people. There are just… people. I ’ m not ashamed or inconvenienced to have you here. I ’ m just glad. And I will continue to be. As for Omar, yes, you ’ re one hundred percent right. I ’ m sorry he feels the way he does. And for whatever I ’ m worth, I ’ ll put every ounce of energy I possess to make sure he stops seeing the world like that. ’ 
 
 A beat. 
 
 ‘ I ’ m sure. ’ she said. She leaned forward to kiss my forehead. Then she drew back. ‘ Just don ’ t do so tonight. You ’ re tired, he ’ s going be tired. I think it won ’ t go well for either of you. ’ 
 ‘ What! ’ I exclaimed. ‘ How… How did you know I ’ d speak with him tonight? ’ I said. 
 She laughed for a long time before managing to say something that would stay with me for life. 
 
 ‘ The blind can see, stupid. Just not in the way you expect. ’
