“Once Roshni started feeling more comfortable in her new environment, she started insisting on her siblings to visit the neighbourhood. Deepa and Pradeep hesitated. They did not want to take undue risks. But on her persistence, they agreed to explore the immediate neighbourhood, provided Roshni held to their hands and did not run on the road.
The first thing that they noticed was an unusual school opposite the ground where they lived. The school was run on the pavement in the open under a tree. Roshni giggled when she saw children sitting on the ground facing their teacher who was writing something on the blackboard. They sat on the pavement and stared at the teacher and the other children.”
My Roshni at this time was 7 years old. She lived in a jhuggi with her family opposite the unique school.
It was time that I asked myself a few searching questions, before I proceeded any further.
Would Roshni too have dreams like other children her age from a relatively better background?
What would motivate her to work for those dreams?
Would she feel burdened by her environment and at some stage buckle under the weight feeling the futility of even dreaming?
Is it not our responsibility to provide a supportive ecosystem to all the children around us?
A friend once said that humiliation itself is a motivator. That may be true in many situations. But would it also hold true in poverty?
I was not certain.
The only thing that I was certain about was that everyone would have dreams. The dreams would start from childhood. These dreams of a better life would get passed down from generation to generation till it was almost built into the DNA.
Having resolved my dilemma, I started writing my story about this rustic family from east India. Roshni was fulfilling the dreams of all the earlier generations.
I consider myself blessed to bring their story to my readers through The Gymnast, Book 1 of Street Performers Series.
Please share your reviews about the book.
authorsanjaychandra 