Little Huts As salesman for a publishing company, I go to that small fishing hamlet once every year, to finalize the

contract for school textbooks, from the only English medium school in the locality. After meeting with the school principal, I went into the teashop for a cup of tea, deeply immersed in my quotation.

Tea, sir, said the tea vendor handing me a cup. I put the papers aside and started sipping the tea. A small girl entered the tea shop, steel tumbler in hand. The vendor poured some milk into her tumbler. She then walked into the hut opposite the tea shop. The one thing I have always observed about that hut is the number of kids. Two years ago, there were three kids, all within the age of five. Last year there was a new cradle. And this year, there is yet another one! It looks like these people know nothing of family planning! I said to the tea vendor. No sir, Murugayya is a friend of mine. We both had the operation done in a camp, a couple of years ago he replied. We even received the bag of rice from the government he added, with a sheepish smile.

Oh come on! Then how do you explain the kids. They didnt come into existence just like that huh? I said with a wink. Oh ho, if thats what bothering you, then dont think too hard. Only the first three kids are his, sir. The fourth one is a tsunami survivor from our native village, Nagapattinam. She was orphaned by the killer waves. The last kid is only three months old. She was found in a dustbin nearby. Murugayya adopted her too. Thats why I didnt charge her for the milk. Its the only way I can help them. After all, dont we all have a little responsibility towards our society?

Did anyone tell you that big hearts reside in little huts?