Wishing Upon A Star
“If only we could become stars and shine just as bright, a light that illuminates pathways and lives" – Nyla
Little do we know of how much we can control our lives, at times it has no purpose or meaning yet it proves to be an everyday struggle.
“I remember that I was only 6 or 7 years old when I realised life was as bitter and harsh as the winter. Our empty stomachs growled as the night grew colder...’ said Nyla, a fourteen-year-old domestic worker, a bread earner and another victim of the harsh realities of our ugly society.
She smiles at me asking “are you going to write a story on me too?”
I smile back at her, as I lift my pen, watching her hide her sadness just as she starts to unveil the unspoken truths of this world, holding back tears just to show how strong she is, she questions “what do you want to know first, how my life is or would you rather want to know how poor I am?”
Blank, clueless and quiet, I remain silent, gathering the courage to question this little girl who is certain I’ll profit from her sorrows.
So this is how it is, how it goes... as I pen down another tale of a life full of sorrows, misery and domestic issues. I hope this piece changes our hearts and minds so that we can make living better for all those precious lives out there.
“Kabhi mai sochti hun mai bhi parh sakti thi magar kisi ne parhne nai dia... kabhi ijazat hi nai mili.” I have five siblings who are dependent on what I earn as I provide the roof they gratefully sleep under.
Nyla was seven years old when she started working, realizing at a tender age that to feed an empty stomach her little hands will have to work tirelessly. I nod my head in agreement, trying not to show my emotions as she went on. “We were never really this poor you know, it all started when my father sold our house for my chacha’s (uncle) wedding. Our lives changed, fate seemed to have turned on us, forcing us to leave the lives we once enjoyed. We left our village, well there was really nothing much to leave behind... materialistically. But that day I did leave something very valuable behind... my youth, my innocence, and memories of my precious childhood.”
Years passed away as she served seven employers in seven years, learning and realising bitter lessons of life every year as she treaded small steps in every walk of life. I pause, glaring at her, thinking that somehow her face isn’t dull or full of sorrows; it is lit with far more maturity and familiarity to the touches of these harsh truths than my face could ever be.
My thoughts are quickly interrupted as she comes to me, observing me and finally letting a quiet sigh out she says “You know this is my 8th house, and yet I have never met people who are so thoughtful or mindful towards lifting others... you are the first and only one.”
Saddened with her words, I reply “Tou ab parh lo... its not like you can’t start over.” I feel silly as the words slip away from my tongue and her face goes dull. She looks up and answers “Meri ammi nahi chahti mai parhun... parhun gi tou sonay ki chirriya nai rahun gi.”
I snub her rude remark, clearing the negativity revolving around in her little mind. But before I succeed, she goes on saying “we can’t even afford to get religious education, you want me to go to school?”
The room is filled with silence, I have nothing more to say or question, I feel hopeless as I stare blankly on my notes, lost in my thoughts and out of words. I decide to stay quiet, but she breaks the silence.. “I am working but not to fulfill my wishes, just to make sure my younger siblings don’t end up wasting their lives. I want them to go to school, be educated so they can and will be free one day to be what they wish to be.”
I look at her with a broad smile across my face, realising how her little heart is full of hope and the will to lift others. I open my mouth to say something but stop... I can’t help but feel that there is no better way to end this conversation cum interview but with hope, faith, love and a smile.
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