Maya's going bonkers tonight.
Like always, she has misplaced her Ghunghroos yet again.
She's been this careless ever since her dance lessons began. While she's in the school teaching the kids, she would forget the stationary at home. While at home, she will leave her lunchbox near the kitchen sink. And not to mention her dancing school, she's always running late.
Maya. She's 25. I met her 7 years ago. Her Mother was at our place asking Mom for some jewellery and money as they needed to marry their only daughter off. So, Maya took her seven vows with this 38-year-old divorced trader. And I never heard of her ever since, until three years back.
Campaigning for 'I Am Malala', while we were around in villages with the sanitary awareness and child/woman welfare programmes, I was introduced to this set of female volunteers who would help us hold the event. On the third day, there were some success stories being shared before we would wrap up the campaign. Our lead told us about this little girl with two kids, daughters, who was running around the village, sweating her way out to send her kids to school because her aged husband wouldn't allow that. His business flopped and therefore, the only remaining options he went with were drinking and getting violent with the ladies. His 21 year old wife even tried fleeing the village
with the daughters but failed miserably, thrice. It was around that time that this organization found her.
It took almost a year. The team helped her get a divorce and the daughters were sent into the custody
of an NGO, the same place where their 21 year old mother was appointed as one of the care-takers. When I had the opportunity to meet her, I happened to ask about her dreams. She was ecstatic in explaining to me that in village, they would show all of Shah Rukh's movies on a Projector: Swades, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Baazigar. And that she loved the character of Maya from Dil Toh Pagal Hai. She wanted to dance, breathe carefree.
She also hoped to romance Shah Rukh some day. She felt he was the first and the only man until then who could make her feel beautiful about herself.
Thus, I discovered our Maya.
I was back to college because the campaign ended. But we have managed to keep in touch.
Maya calls me DidiMa even though I'm two years younger to her. She says I feel like a mother each time she hugs me.
I spoke to her this morning. Their NGO is travelling to Nainital. And Maya's performing her first solo contemporary dance act. She's nervous, and she misplaced the Ghunghroos yet again.
Tomorrow is a big day for her. She told me she's got a dinner date after the event. I asked her to wear Red, she was adamant on going with Gray. We fought the discussion out with, of course, Maya giving in.
She was getting late for her final costume rehearsal and therefore rushed into the final words: "DidiMa! I will send a Whatsapp picture. My Summer seems to have found her Spring. I love you."
Like always, she has misplaced her Ghunghroos yet again.
She's been this careless ever since her dance lessons began. While she's in the school teaching the kids, she would forget the stationary at home. While at home, she will leave her lunchbox near the kitchen sink. And not to mention her dancing school, she's always running late.
Maya. She's 25. I met her 7 years ago. Her Mother was at our place asking Mom for some jewellery and money as they needed to marry their only daughter off. So, Maya took her seven vows with this 38-year-old divorced trader. And I never heard of her ever since, until three years back.
Campaigning for 'I Am Malala', while we were around in villages with the sanitary awareness and child/woman welfare programmes, I was introduced to this set of female volunteers who would help us hold the event. On the third day, there were some success stories being shared before we would wrap up the campaign. Our lead told us about this little girl with two kids, daughters, who was running around the village, sweating her way out to send her kids to school because her aged husband wouldn't allow that. His business flopped and therefore, the only remaining options he went with were drinking and getting violent with the ladies. His 21 year old wife even tried fleeing the village
with the daughters but failed miserably, thrice. It was around that time that this organization found her.
It took almost a year. The team helped her get a divorce and the daughters were sent into the custody
of an NGO, the same place where their 21 year old mother was appointed as one of the care-takers. When I had the opportunity to meet her, I happened to ask about her dreams. She was ecstatic in explaining to me that in village, they would show all of Shah Rukh's movies on a Projector: Swades, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Baazigar. And that she loved the character of Maya from Dil Toh Pagal Hai. She wanted to dance, breathe carefree.
She also hoped to romance Shah Rukh some day. She felt he was the first and the only man until then who could make her feel beautiful about herself.
Thus, I discovered our Maya.
I was back to college because the campaign ended. But we have managed to keep in touch.
Maya calls me DidiMa even though I'm two years younger to her. She says I feel like a mother each time she hugs me.
I spoke to her this morning. Their NGO is travelling to Nainital. And Maya's performing her first solo contemporary dance act. She's nervous, and she misplaced the Ghunghroos yet again.
Tomorrow is a big day for her. She told me she's got a dinner date after the event. I asked her to wear Red, she was adamant on going with Gray. We fought the discussion out with, of course, Maya giving in.
She was getting late for her final costume rehearsal and therefore rushed into the final words: "DidiMa! I will send a Whatsapp picture. My Summer seems to have found her Spring. I love you."
Maya is a dream and an inspiration. Maya is beautiful, Maya feels beautiful
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