The story of Archana

I am Archana - Akka. Studying in 6th standard in Glorious Techno School. And then she goes back to her own work unlike the others who were taught to crouch and sit after lunch in their bunker rooms so that visitors come and meet them and get introduced to them. And why this discipline - so that they can please the "Visitors". So accustomed they were to this word. It seemed to please a visitor was the sole aim of their Lives - which again I didn't know how long would last.

Well yes - an NGO i have been wanting to go for long. And especially one which housed children affected from HIV AIDS. The kids who were separated form their parents (as they themselves had died owing to AIDS) and their families obviously owing to social taboos associated with this disease. I was prepared for a trip, an experience, which would move me by maybe seeing the kids who I was expecting to have been affected by the symptoms of HIV or AIDS. But the experience was so different. Seeing the kids in the NGO, I felt these kids are so lucky to be living in the situation in which they are. Right from the food that they ate to the toys they played with or the schools they went to study, there was no discrimination or compromise with the quality. Aloof of the disease which has caused them to be a part and member of the bigger family, the life they led - am sure in normal conditions they wouldn't have been offered the same.

To quote - one kid was all decked up - why because he was going to meet the superstar Telugu hero - Ram Charan. Having a small piece of paper in his pocket to get his autograph he seemed all set to maybe have an experience of his lifetime. I wonder while he would be traveling for his tete-a-tete with Ram Charan, what all thoughts would be coming to his mind. What were in his stars that he ended up with a fate like this - to be separated from his roots and come live with a bunch of other kids, make awesome friends, be educated, cut birthday cakes every year and then become one of the lucky ones to meet the superstar.

And then I meet Archana, who sat beside me in the van while going to her school. She had struck me during her introduction, maybe I found her smarter than the lot. And then she hit off with me well - and how? Her love for watches and sharing the same birthdate was more than enough. Then I wanted to continue further asking her some more questions - when I stopped at one point, when I had this question in my mind - What do you aim to be when you are big enough? Didn't know if I should have proceeded with that question - for yes maybe I saw these kids living life normally, going to school and learning the same things like normal kids do, growing up like healthy kids do making me forget that HIV might take its toll anytime, anyday. Unaware, untouched by that thought, they still lead their lives happily, pray everyday during meals and make us, humans around them happier with their gestures, spreading all the more happiness and love around and most importantly inspiring us to live life with gratitude.