One in a Million
Radha Nagrajan sat in a theatre next to her husband enjoying the movie playing in front of her. The moving pictures surprised Radha, even after all these years. She’d read a book on it when she was younger on how cameras work but it still astonished her. What the human mind was capable of, literally achieving the impossible! It was 1975, and like most of the country she was watching, Sholay. At that moment, she was unaware of how revolutionary the movie was going to be. Not one person in that hall knew how this movie would be appreciated by all generations to come, how it would be ballpoint for future Bollywood movies. How the line she heard now “Basanti in kutto ke samne mat nachna” would be repeated over and over and will soon become one of the most famous dialogues in the world. There was also another thing that nobody knew yet. A secret that the future held. Radha was going to be revolutionary too. Much like Sholay, she was going to change how India thought of itself, and how the rest of the world viewed India. However, as of right now, she was an ordinary woman munching on popcorn.
Just outside of where Radha was sitting there was a young boy crouched in the corner. He was starving and was looking around, trying to find someone who looked like they would be kind enough to give him some food. He was short and thin, much too small for a boy his age (he was 10). How had he got there; sick and all alone? He didn’t know, didn’t remember. Wasn’t exactly thinking about that either, only about food and the delicious popcorn he could smell coming from the hall just next to him. It was sad how society let people fall through the cracks like that, how all around the boy was food that would help him, but he couldn’t have it. Why is it that even though the food was so close, it was still out of his reach? Not one person noticed him and even if someone did no one provided relief. It was heartless, although it was the 70s people had their own problems.
Radha noticed, right away actually. He was immediately visible to her, the little boy in the corner. She rushed to him, walking like it was instinct. He needed help, and she would provide it to him. In her mind, there was no other option. Her husband followed her, confused at first and then determined once he noticed the boy too. They rarely disagreed on things, especially things like this. As they got closer, the boy looked up. Slowly and scared at first, which quickly changed into hope when he saw the kind smiles on the couple’s faces.
“Tell me, dear,” Radha said softly in Kannada, “would you like some food?” The boy nodded and stood up as Radha offered a hand to him. “What’s your name?” Vijay asked. “Karan,” the boy replied “I don’t know my last name,” his voice was quiet, barely audible over the bustle of the street. He stammered like he wasn’t used to using his voice often. Then again, one might rarely find chatty people on the street.
Radha was reminded of her son. The small, bundle of joy that ate like an elephant. He must be asleep right now, safe and sound at his grandmother’s. She couldn’t imagine him looking like the boy who walked beside her. Could never imagine leaving him out here all alone. Where were Karan’s parents? Nobody would do this to their children willingly. Were they hurt? Dead? She sighed, she doubted Karan knew. She was sure of one thing, Karan would not sleep on the streets tonight. Radha glanced at her husband and caught his eye. He was thinking the same thing, she could tell because of the fierceness his eyes held. It displayed the same defensiveness as when Radha insisted on walking alone at night or when their daughter doesn’t come back home at the right time. Vijay was nothing if not protective; now that he had taken Karan under his wing Radha knew that nothing would hurt this little boy again.
***
Six months later
When Radha looked back on the day that they had brought Karan home, she could hardly believe the change in Karan. He looked healthy now, his body no longer bony and thin. He had shot up a couple of inches too. Radha felt proud of the beautiful boy in front of her. He was quiet, though, only spoke when spoken to and still shy when it came to playing with her children. That was expected, Vijay said he must have lived a hard life on the streets. It would take some time for him to open up to them. They would have to be patient.
Nowadays, every time Radha walked out, she would notice children, young children living on the streets. Most of them were with their parents, who made their condition better than Karan’s but still terrible. Radha wondered how long this had been going on for. She was sure that none of these kids went to school; they deserved opportunities and a home. This would upset her and she wouldn’t think of anything else for days. She thought of her dear father, who fought for the country. He fought for freedom for a better quality of life. How come they achieved independence from the British but were trapped under poverty instead? If he were alive today he would have been disappointed, would have been disheartened to see that his efforts had been for nothing. This thought ate Radha away.
Vijay would tell her constantly that she must not think that way. “There’s nothing you can do,” he would say to her, “the system is broken, one man can’t fix it .” Radha disagreed, and wished every night she could think of a way to help. She couldn’t take every child in, couldn’t help everyone the way she did with Karan. There must be a way, she thought, there has to be something I can do.
She took Karan to the library one day; she wanted to get a book for herself and get him a workbook. She was teaching him how to read; slowly, he was getting the hang of English. Children were always quick learners, and Karan seemed to be exceptionally bright. At the library, as she made her way to the children’s section, she bumped into a woman who appeared to be interested in the same books as Radha. “Hello,” the woman greeted, “are you a teacher too?”
Radha took the woman in; she must be a little younger than Radha, not married she noticed the lack of a mangle sutra around her neck. “Hello,” Radha replied, “No, I am just looking for my son” The women nodded, then noticing Karan behind Radha asked, “For him?” Radha felt a little defensive, it didn’t make any sense, but she thought it just the same. She nodded. “He’s little old for these books; you might want to try a few shelves over.” Radha definitely felt defensive now, “He just started learning english. Thank you, though.” “Oh! That’s nice. I teach kids introductory English too.”
That made Radha pause, introductory English? There are teachers for that? “I’m sorry, introductory English?” The woman nodded, “Yes, for children studying in local schools. They usually study in their local language, which becomes a huge disadvantage when they go out looking for jobs. So, my principal has opened a small tuition centre which helps such kids pick up the language. It’s so nice that you’re taking up the initiative yourself.” Radha nodded, a warm glow spreading through her. She knew what to do now; she knew how she could help.
***
“I don’t understand. You want to teach street urchins?” Radha was slightly disappointed by the lack of enthusiasm, but she continued all the same, “They deserve opportunities too, don’t they? Not to mention they probably need it more than anyone else. They’re leading miserable lives; they need a way out. We owe it to them. Our parents fought for our future didn’t they? We need to fight for theirs.” The principal sat for a while, staring at Radha. Radha was afraid for a moment that she had gone too far when she noticed her eyes fill up with tears. “You are right. You are absolutely right.”
Radha had been married for 30 years, and she had three children but never, did she remember hearing three words she cherished more.
“Radha will be leading the whole thing, and everyone will work with her. Okay?” The principal told the team she had brought together. Radha felt her heart swell with pride. It was all coming together; finally, after months of sleepless nights and work-filled days, they were ready to go. People had been trained on how to approach the children and how to convince them to learn. It was all coming together, Radha thought. She just hoped nothing would come in the way of their goal.
They went out onto the street in groups of three looking for children between the ages of seven to twelve. Each person carried with them a bottle of water and fruit. It might sound ridiculous, but they needed an incentive, no one understood then the importance of communication, but they had to learn. Radha’s team focused on first, convincing the children and their parents to sign up for their class. Teaching them came later; they needed students to school, that was the critical part.
Radha was with Aisha, the girl she met at the library and Raghav a young boy who volunteered as a side-job while attending college. Radha felt a little shy around her colleagues, she had never been a person to talk to strangers, and this was the first time she was working. It was a significant change, and she wasn’t sure if she was ready for it. The two of them were good at their jobs, they had been doing this for a long time, and they knew what the parents and the children want to hear.
The first children they found at a train station, they were sitting by the platform while their parents wandered looking for odd jobs in an attempt to earn a few paisas. It broke Radha’s heart on seeing how excited they became when they offered them the few apples they had carried with them. It was like they had won the lottery. Her children wouldn’t look back if she offered them an apple. They would probably decline the offer, ask more something else. Not that Radha was complaining, she was glad that her kids led a better life, a comfortable life. She only hoped all kids could live like that.
They talked to the children for a while, asking them about their lives. “Have you been to school?” “What do your parents do?” The children seemed to warm up to them quickly. They were thankful for the food and were happy to answer their questions. After a while, Radha asked them, “Would you like to go to school? Would you like to learn?” Suddenly the kids got quiet; their faces looked scared and solemn. “Maybe. But our parents cannot afford school.” One child said sadly. “What if we teach you, and your parents don’t have to pay,” Radha said, smiling.
“Really? You would do that?” The eldest child said, with disbelief in his voice. “Of course,” Radha replied laughing, “that’s what we’re here for,”
***
“I’m so proud of you, have I mentioned that?” Vijay said lovingly one night. He turned his head and glanced at his wife, who was blushing due to his words. “I always thought the system was too big. I preferred to ignore the problem than to face it but you? You always dive headfirst, never look back just run towards your goal. It’s what I love most about you.” Radha glanced at her husband and reached for his hand, “I was sixteen when I married you, barely a woman. I was a girl from a small village. You inspired me, handed me a book and widened my horizon. Taught me everything I know about the world. Without you, I could have never done this.”
Vijay laughed, “No, you would have found a way to make a difference. You were always too big for that village. Your father knew that. You were inspiring people then too, riding on buffalos and taking fate into your own hands. You were never one to sit quietly and let the world pass you by. I helped, yes, but without me, you would have found another way. You were born to help people, make this world a better place to live in.” Radha shook her head, “Maybe I was born a free spirit, a girl destined to make a change. However, I was born to be with you, too, and I needed you to fulfil my destiny.”
Vijay did not know what to say to that and so stayed quiet. Both of them stayed quiet for a while, lost in their thoughts until Vijay said, “Your father would have been proud; you know that right?” Radha nodded, her eyes filling up with tears, the way they always did when someone mentioned her father, “I did this for him, you know? I wanted to make India the way he had envisioned it all those years ago. Wanted to bring India closer to the India he had in mind when he fought for it. Wanted to respect his memory, and every other freedom fighter’s too.” Vijay nodded, “You did them proud. Even on this small-scale, you made a difference, that’s what any one of them wanted to do.”
“Remember when we found Karan on the street that day? How is it that that small incident led to this? What were the chances one in a million?” Vijay shook his head and laughed, “True, true” he went quiet as if deep in thought and then said, “You’re one in a million too Radha.”