We wanted to visit Aditi, but we were not permitted to leave the building and besides, we did not know where she lived. However, at the orphanage, life wasn’t too grim. Despite there being bland and repetitive food, it provided us with the necessary energy to get by; and it was prepared and cleaned by the volunteer workers. We had classes of literacy, science, and numeracy every day; and occasionally there was an art class. We slept in rooms of 8 on bunk beds which were tolerable but not at all extravagant. Under my bed, I stored a necklace inside a small wooden box with my name engraved on the bottom. The necklace had sentimental value, as it was around my neck when I was found by the lady.
I remember Aditi mention “Don’t you just have charming eyes?” It was all I could ever remember her saying to me, throughout my entire time living with her. There was always something unique about my eyes, they were as blue as the sky. I was the only child in the village with blue eyes, so I was known as “the blue eyed child”. I didn’t have a problem with that as Aditi always thought of me as distinctive and special. Another reason why I felt that I was different was because from a very young age, I was very conscious and aware of everything which occurred around me.
I remember as if it was yesterday, when two new gentlemen came to work in the orphanage. They stood by the door grandly, wearing suits and bow ties, with brief cases in their hands, as if they were going to work in the city. After the first initial few weeks of working in the orphanage, it was clear that they were not even attempting to fit in with the rest of the employees. However, shortly after their arrival, several of the children from the orphanage coincidentally seemed to be allocated homes. My curiosity led me to investigate the situation further.
Immediately once their shifts ended, the men would leave the orphanage hastily. Just as they closed to door behind them, I would swiftly move towards the nearest window to observe them. They simply unlocked the gate, turned left, and walked directly into the vacant building next door. After seeing this several times, I decided to hide in the bush outside in the front yard, to see it I could get a closer look.
The windows were boarded up; there was a forest of weeds in the front garden, and dead plants growing around the bricks of the front porch. Why were they were going into the filthy old building? Or did they even have the rights to enter the property?
I suddenly realised that something peculiar was going on, when they took my friend Shashi out of the orphanage, I ran to the window to see where they were taking her, and they proceeded to take her to the crooked building next door. I alerted my brother to the situation, but he did not take any interest.
The following day, I planned to briefly leave the orphanage to break into the building next door. I hid behind the bush as the two workers were leaving, and just before the gate closed behind them, I managed to creep through the narrow gap, without anyone noticing.
I entered the building carefully through a smashed window round the back. Just as I stepped inside, a shard of glass passed through by foot. I was in agony. The pain. It was just unbearable. I couldn’t stop myself from releasing a loud yelp and within seconds the workers came running into the room. They glanced at each other, then grabbed me by my arms and tied me to a chair. I tried to resist but it was impossible.
They removed a red hot iron from behind a dithering grey chair, and brought it close to my eyes. Shortly afterwards, everything became blurry and I became unconscious.
In those last few seconds of sight, I saw the beautifully painted walls in Aditi’s hut; the children who played by the river; the mothers who scrubbed the clothing; the mouth-watering smells of the curry; and the dancing and singing around the well. Although my life was not luxurious or extravagant, I had fantastic memories of people who loved, cared and valued me. And that was the last time. The last time that I saw the world.