It’s a wonder that I still remember the look in his eyes, the blank stare.
Sometime in 2016, we started on a journey to the white desert, Kachchh, Gujarat. Little did I know that I would not come back the same.
When I think about this journey, the first thing that comes to my mind is the image of the young boy who was helping his uncles dye fabrics. He would have been about twelve years old. Standing in a tub filled with water and dyes or rather chemicals, bearing the heat pricking against his skin, there he was washing fabrics doing just what he was asked to do.
Even after four years, it’s a wonder that I still remember the look in his eyes, the blank stare. That look caught me off guard. I was left wondering why he was there in the middle of the afternoon washing clothes. A conversation with one of the uncles gave me the answer. He had dropped out of school to help his family by working in one of the block-printing kharkhanas (workspaces) of Kachchh.
How many children out there don’t receive education till class 12? How many kids out there can’t enjoy life as we know it? Can we do something for them? These are the questions that have been bugging me to date. Why bugging me? Well, to be honest, it’s because I haven’t done much yet. Ss fortunyHopefully, I do something soon.
Before this journey, I hardly ever thought about the people who are a little less fortunate. This boy changed it all. Travel does change you.
So, if you’ve read till here, Thanks a ton! Now, let’s bring a bit of joy to someone. Maybe just bring a huge smile on the face of someone you love. Because all we have is each other.❤
