"I'm Himanshu, I'm 12 years old and I am going to become an engineer! And my favourite movie is 3 Idiots, so I want to create things just like Phunsok Wangdu! And you know what? Papa is the most excited about this. He never had a chance to study na... He sells newspapers and Mummy stays at home and takes care of our family. So, I study very hard!
The highlight of my day is when my friends and I meet up for study sessions after our football game. But with the lockdowns, everything moved online and our study sessions completely stopped! Papa didn't have a phone and so, I couldn't attend online classes.
I pleaded with him to buy one for me, but he said, 'I can't afford it. Papa will have to sell a lot more newspapers to buy one.' I felt so sad, didi- I really love studying. But I didn't say anything to Papa, he'd just lost his job...and although Papa and Mummy didn't say anything, I knew things were bad. We'd often visit the Gram Panchayat because we didn't have the money for food.
Somehow, my teachers came to know about our situation. They'd call me and say, 'Don't worry, Himanshu, after lockdown, you can take tuition from us.' My friends would also help me with notes, but it wasn't enough. I'd always been a class topper and now, I felt like I was going to fail…That thought made me very sad and I'd keep wondering, 'How will I become an engineer?'
And then one day, my teachers called me and said, 'Himanshu, I have a gift for you!' They said that Amazon was providing me with a tab so that I could use it to study and fulfill my dreams! They even taught me how to use it- I'd never even seen a tab before, and it looked so cool! The next day itself, I was in front of my tab saying, 'Present Ma'am' to mark my attendance.
It felt so good to be able to say that, to learn and to finally attend school again! Papa said, 'Tum bahut lucky ho, beta. Isse dhang se use karna.' And so, when I'm done studying, I watch videos on robotics. I want to start learning early, so that I will pass all my competitive exams. Sometimes, Mummy also uses it, to make my favorite paneer!
Humans of Bombay, Fb