The sun's rays peeked through the windows of Esha Akira Menon’s room.
She opened her eyes groggily and went to complete her morning rituals.
Half an hour later, she reached downstairs and went to the dining hall where her big brothers were waiting for her.
Her big B Dev fed her while eating himself.
A few minutes later, Esha said,” Anna, from the day after tomorrow, my college will start. You didn't forget, right?”
“Of Course not, Ammu Kutty.” He replied
Two days later, in Dev’s car, they drove to the university named Menon's Art and Sciences University. It was built by the late Premchandra Menon. Father of Dev, Dhruv, and Esha.
Esha was pursuing an MA in English at the university.
After dropping her off at the hostel and helping her to her room, he left from there kissing her forehead.
That afternoon, her best friend, who also happened to be her roommate, Jisha, also came back from the holidays.
They both hugged each other and talked about what they did during the holidays.
“So, bestie, what did you do in the holidays? Other than being in the cocoon of your protective brothers.” Jisha asked Esha.
Esha rolled her eyes and replied,” As you know, my love for scribbling stories. I joined an online internship programme at Pehchaan The Street School. There, I crafted stories with different themes. Pehchaan The Street School is an amazing NGO that helps underprivileged children study and gain their own identity. Till now, they have helped 1600+ students. And I felt blessed joining that NGO and writing stories for such an amazing school.”
Jisha smiled at her,” That’s great, Akki.”
The next day after finishing college, Esha returned to the hostel along with her best friend, Jisha.
On the way to her hostel, there was a site, and construction was going on there.
There she saw two children. A girl and a boy are struggling with the bricks. They were trying to hold those heavy bricks to move to another place.
Esha got worried that the bricks might fall on those children and they might get hurt.
So she immediately rushed to them, and Jisha followed her.
They ran to the children, and Esha took the bricks from their hands and threw them away.
Then she noticed the bruises on their bodies.
She immediately took them to the nearby hospital, and fortunately, her soon-to-be sister, Preeti, the fiancé of Dhruv Menon, was working there.
Preeti treated the children and also prescribed medicine.
“But we don't have the money to buy these medicines.” Said the boy.
The girl also nodded her head yes.
Esha shook her head,” Now, who said that you need money to buy medicine here?”
“Why? We don't need to pay for the medicine?” The girl asked, scrunching her eyebrows.
Esha nodded her head no.
“Nope! You don't need to pay any fees. The doctors here treat you without any fees. So, you don't need any money to get treated here.”
“Ohh! I also have dreams like this one time. I also became a big doctor like Akka,” she pointed to Preethi and continued,” And treat the patients without taking any fees.”
“But I also know that it was just a dream. Because I don't have money to become a doctor, and to become a doctor, I need money.” The girl looked down sadly.
Esha’s heart clenched with pain seeing those children.
Preethi saw her, and she knew that something was going to happen.
Esha kneeled in front of the children and, holding their hands, she asked,” Why are you both doing that construction work? Where are your parents?”
The girl and boy looked at each other and replied,” We don't have parents. We want to go to school, that's why we work there.”
“How can that Owner take underage children to work?” Esha muttered angrily at the construction site owner.
Preethi kept her hand on Esha's shoulder and tried to calm her.
Esha calmed a bit and then took them to the nearby restaurant and helped them to eat their favourite ones.
Later, she called her second brother, Dhruv, and asked him to take those two children to their home.
“D, I want to give them a new life. I want to help them make their dreams come true. And I know where they can get that. But till I take them to that place, can we please keep them in our home?” Esha pleaded with him.
“Do you think you need to please your brothers?” Dhruv raised his eyebrows
“Your one word and we will bow down. Ok, I will take these two little guys with me and buy them new clothes and everything.” Dhruv promised her and then took those little ones with him to Menon Mansion.
That night, Esha was sitting on her bed in her hostel room and chatting with her TL, who helped her with the internship period in Pehchaan The Street School.
She gave all the details about joining two new children in the school.
Jisha, who just came into the room, frowned and asked,” What are you doing?”
“Taking admission for those two little ones.” Replied Esha.
Jisha looked at her friend, gobsmacked.
“How?”
Esha turned to Jisha,” I told you that I had done my content writer internship in Pehchaan The Street School, right?”
Jisha nodded her head yes.
“So, I had a word with my TL and she agreed. With her help, I got admission for those two children. And soon they will join the school.”
Esha said with a wide smile on her face.
“Wow! That's incredible.”
It was June, and on World Day against Child Labour, Esha wanted the children to join Pehchaan The Street School.
She talked about the same with her brothers.
“Ok! But you are going to travel alone to Delhi.” Dev replied.
They were now sitting in the canteen of the university.
“Who said I am going alone? You both are coming with me. Don't worry.” Esha replied calmly.
Dhruv and Dev sighed.
On the 9th, through their private flight Menon family flew to Delhi.
On the 12th, they met Akash Tandon, the founder of Pehchaan The School.
And talked about the admission.
While filling out the form, it asked about children's names.
He showed it to Esha, who smiled and said,” Luv and Khushi.”
“From today, their names are Luv and Khushi. You both need to be the inspiration to lots of children.” Esha said, smiling at them
The children also smiled at her and nodded their heads.
It was afternoon, and a few volunteers from the Rotaract club came to the school and distributed stationery items like pencils etc.,
Luv and Khushi accepted them graciously and grinned at them.
When the sky got covered with the hues of the monsoon clouds, Gitu.As it approached Pehchaan The Street School, and distributed food and many more cute stationery items.
While natchsnacks also provided snacks, the children enjoyed them with the drizzles and soft breeze.
Luv and Khushi got happy being among so many children, and they were on cloud 9 knowing they could study now without worrying about their financial situation.
Years later, Khushi was sitting in her own home she had built along with Luv after achieving their dreams.
Near her window, she was sitting. While the moonlight was bright, Khushi opened her journal and started to scribble.
“On the other side of the road,
I stood along wth Luv.
With the heavy brick in my tiny hands,
Then came an angel;
Who turned our lives,
From black to colorful!”
From that day, Esha helped many children who were struggling to make their dreams come true. But because of the financial issues, they got into labour work. Esha Akira Menon took a stand for them and helped them join Pehchaan The Street School. Who welcomed everyone with open arms, wholeheartedly.
Dev and Dhruv can't wish for anything more than their little sister, Esha's happiness. They supported her in every decision and helped her as much as they could.
Her 2nd brother, Dhruv, who also happened to be a police officer, helped with the legal formalities of helping the children.
After achieving success in their life, Khushi and Luv came back to Kerala, where Esha was living, and they also started to live with her.
Luv became a police officer like Dhruv and Khushi, as she wished; she became a doctor and as she said in the beginning. She opened her own hospital and treated the patients freely with no fees.
June 12th is celebrated as World Against Child Labour, and Esha chose that particular date to join Luv and Khushi in Pehchaan The Street School to show that Children should be in school but not in the dangerous workplaces like Construction sites as workers.
Just know that today's children are tomorrow’s bright future.
Don't crush their dreams by using financial status
Because you don't need to fear when Pehchaan The Street School is here.