04 Sep PAYAL – THE STREET SIDE STORY

I met a girl named Payal on the streets of Rajasthan a while back. Her story is rather painful for someone her age. Our childhood days are the golden days, filled with laughter, carelessness and love. However her story shakes you to the core. Like ever girl child who wants to study, wants to grow, carry a dream of something in life, she had a tough journey. Her dream of becoming a teacher or living a colourful childhood will be unfulfilled because she has been exploited throughout. Payal was molested by people around several times, she didn’t even remember how many times she has been scolded or sexually harassed by people on streets. All she ever wanted was to study and draw. When i saw her she sat on the street side drawing a doll wearing a purple dress, she herself wore a purple saree everyday, i believe she was drawing herself, all beautiful and happy. After clicking this picture i felt extremely sad because she mentioned; ‘being someone’s doll every night is unbearable.’ Girls like her who are denied the basic right to study and instead undergo so much humiliation and pain, makes me hate this entire system. This society has ruined everything so much that no one will ever take a step to bring a change. I wish i could, by sharing her story.