The Children of Cheshire Homes

Warm up  to Antakshari

Kids at  work

Game in progress

Acrobats

Just  in time for  the  next  Olympics?

The  shy one

Manisha  the " foster  mother" 

Ferns

Roses

Gladiolus

Orphanages and homes  for destitute  people. What do they  bring to  your  mind? Dreary  places  for people  who have lost  everything in life ? Brings you visages  from  Charles  Dickens, where  children are  sentenced  to a life of drudgery  and cruelty?

You couldn't be further  from the truth. ! Step into Cheshire  Homes, Ranchi. It’s a bright sunny day of September.Bright flowers flutter   in the  well-tended garden, butterflies fly around, you even see a  pack of geese cackling about.

And then you meet the inmates. Samira, who has  been disabled in  a train accident and walks (rather, spins) on a wheelchair . Her disability doesn’t deter her- she spins her wheelchair like a champ, loves to sing , and bonds with people instantly oblivious to all her problems . She is very disciplined , and prefers to carry herself around on her wheelchair rather than being carried around.Vicky, who has lost  his arm and his  mother ( his father hardly comes to visit him) but not his loving  nature  and charm. Sangita, born of dirt poor parents, but full of mischief and charm. Manisha, who has  a physical disability  but is full of worldly wisdom .And  many elderly and middle-aged inmates, as cheerful  and happy as any other person on the street.

Being with kids often makes you forget yourself, and even your own silly problems  for a while. Kids accept you in their own manner, sans prejudice and sans preconceived notions. But it is often a surprise that even among those kids who are underprivileged, a genuine sense of bonding and camaraderie is seen.

Manisha is quite the  wise one, forever  reminding me to  keep  my  smartphone safe from the  mischievious kids, but  wanting to see videos  all the  same. We  enjoy  a pre-independence day rousing number on my smartphone. She  pesters  me with  questions  which I make up answers  to. 

Today, I play with  Samira, Ritu and two other  kids ( whom I haven’t seen before) . Its  a game of jal and danga, which I haven’t played since my child hood days.We enjoy it hugely, each trying to catch the  other. And  the   kids show off their  amazing acrobatics  to me, which they  say they  have learnt in school.

And then,I have  an inpromptu  antakshakari session with the  kids. We  sing a lot of nonsense, many of the  songs self-made, and have  a gala time. One of the boy  constantly sings songs about “daaru” , which makes me wonder what his inclinations  are.We laugh it all off all the  same.

Sister  Cecilia, an iron lady with a  heart of gold, is in charge  of this  institution, We  have established  a warm bond over  the  months, and I am her “rakhee brother” now. I have agreed  to take care of some of Vicky’s expenses. So that makes a me a foster  father  in one  way, I guess  :) 

This is how my Sundays  are spent, laughing  ,playing and singing among these kids  who have everything to win and nothing  to lose. I salute their spirit.

In reality, I am not doing anything for them . On the contrary,  they  are doing everything  for me  , rejuvenating my spirit. Ask me if I would rather be doing anything else on my  spare Sundays, and my emphatic answer would   be  “No”.

Spread  the  cheer :) Care  for  a kid , in addition to your  own. They need  your love and attention.