Trekking the Bend on the Road My mom was widowed at twenty. As she went from place to place searching for somewhere to live, I tagged along beside her. It was difficult to find a safe shelter to stay in since we were part of the “lower society.”  After a long search, an ashram that offered shelter to homeless people decided to take […]

I Will Be the Change I Want to See At the age of four it seemed like I was destined to lead the same despondent life of both my parents. I had always wanted to make things good for my family, but that didn’t seem possible. In spite of my determination to bring about change, […]

Never Again Shall I Hide From the World Should a four-year-old child hide from a mentally ill close relative whose main goal is to cause harm? Should she have to break into her own house to retrieve the few things that she owns in the world? Should she have to constantly look out on the […]

Hands Speak Louder Untouchably rough hands and calloused palms with skin as thick as soles are what everyone in my family shares. Weathered first in the hot sun and then hardened by physical work on rough roads and dry fields, our heels are cracked and caked with mud. Sweat, dust and grime cover the three […]