Vijaya

When hope fails…

Running barefoot on a stony muddy path and wearing a frock with small red polka dots on cream base, there was a girl. Her two long braids with red ribbons were swinging in air as she was running and her eyes were on the path so long.  She was in a real hurry, she wanted to reach somewhere on time. She was tightly holding a double layer steel lunch box in a hand.

I was staring at her from my white ambassador; she was able to manage the speed with my car, as my car was running slow on this stony path. My curiosity let me to ask my driver to stop the car. I called her out and ask her to come nearer.

She paused, hesitated, but later came close. I magnified her once more, and asked her in my best possible gentle voice, where are you running towards my dear. She wiped her forehead with her right wrist; took a long breath between heavy gasps, and replied a small word. SCHOOL.

I was not in front of mirror, but I knew there was a big broad smile on my face. She must be six or seven years old, and her attire was telling that she belonged to a poor family. Still she managed to attend school. We are really progressing. Not to mention I offered her lift to the school and opened the car door and let her in.

She entered inside the car and sat on the back seat with me, locked herself in a little space, folded her dress neatly, and kept the lunchbox on her lap. She gave me a feeling that what a mannered child she is. She hesitated for her bare feet, as they were full of mud. I locked her strands behind her ears and asked, where is your school, direct the driver. She quietly said one right then left.

I asked her, what your name is. She replied in a confident voice with a smile, Vijaya. This was the first time she smiled.

‘Do you know what it means?’

‘Yes, mother says, I will succeed in whatever I will do. I always win in kabaddi. Even with the boys, I am able to win. But I am not allowed to play much. They are frightened I will beat them. I run too fast also, and I can fetch more pots of water from the river in less time than others.’

‘And tell me about your studies, what do you learn in school?’

She didn’t reply me and turned her face towards windows, and asked ‘right from here’.

I wondered why she was not carrying her school bag, any books and note books. What kind of school she is going. This was my first visit to this village and I was not much aware of the localities here. I was here for an inspection of a solar plant that my team was installing nearby this village. We moved as per her directions, and reached the school.

The big signage board of the school says ‘Prathmik Bal Vidyalaya’.  She got down from the car, and entered the main gate, followed by a playground where boys were playing. Soon she was lost in the crowd and my big smile turned into distress.