purushwadi, june 2013.

this was one cute, enthusiastic, wide-eyed kid.

we were tourists at her house in purushwadi, maharashtra… we walked around, observed her mother pounding rice in the traditional way… sapna (in english: dream) ran around with one kid in her arms. i stopped her, and asked if i could take a picture. she nodded, an all over circle with her head. click.

when i showed it to her, she looked at me and giggled!

her big eyes look out into the world with great curiosity. she goes to school, but most of the children in this village don’t study beyond 10th std, including the boys. it could also be a function of the higher secondary school being a little away and then college further away. that might just be her future too, or maybe even lesser education.

but i wish well for this bright eyed, happy kid. i hope she studies, hope she dreams big. bigger than her tiny village, bigger than her parents, bigger than her dreams can or should be.

all the best sapna.

sapna’s grandmom who can’t hear and wanted to get a picture of hers taken

sapna’s house – its wet, damp and packed. but do we need more space?

sapna’s mother who seemed patient but rather tired – or is that just me?

decorated walls inside the house

sapna and her sibling, another girl… they are three girls here and no boys. hope that doesn’t become an issue for sapna’s mother!