Only if we let them Bloom

Two Budding stars, if Only We Can Let Them Shine
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Jeetu...

If you ask this five year old kid of his ambition in life, don't be surprised to get unexpected and enthusiastic answers, like:

"I want to be a tractor driver.",
or
"I want to be a truck driver and drink booze."

For, given the circumstances, how much higher can he focus his eyes on ?

Today i showed him a video clip taken by my daughter mid flight from the window of an aeroplane in which they were flying just above the white clouds. He was enthralled.

"If you reach the clouds from this window, your hands will get wet, and may be sometimes you can catch a hail stone or two", he said confidently.

"Then you want to fly in an aeroplane?", i asked.

"Sure!"

"For that you'll have to study hard."

Today the 'study' session was a truly high note performance, as the two brothers kept shouting hard all their assigned lessions.

Tapan.....

He is the elder of the two brothers, may be a little less than seven. A little shy of the two, and slightly lesser concentration than his younger brother in studies, but catching on fast.

But in worldly perceptions Tapan is sharp, in contrast to the simple innocence of the younger sibling Jeetu.

He is intelligent, but needs more guidance.
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They are always happy, despite the stark poverty that they have been destined to be born into.

These two kids are sons of my firm hand Bharata, who in his turn has been working in my farm since his childhood days.

My wife, despite her very busy schedule, has taken it upon herself to look after these children's studies. They attend their school, the local village Primary, with Jeetu in class one and Tapan in class two, and come to our house in the mornings and afternoons for their home work.

I had heard about the philanthropic KISS school under Mr Achyuta Samanta's KIIT University, but sadly they take in only Scheduled Tribe children, and these two are of Scheduled Caste.

We want them to be educated and responsible citizens when they grow up into adulthood, as sadly they come from a totally illiterate lineage.

-------Ch Navakanta Mishra