Namaste. My name is Indu. I am studying in Standard VI at GHP School, Agara, Bengaluru. Alike several teenage girls, I too keep a photo of my favourite cricketer under my pillow. Yes, Sachin Tendulkar is my all-time favourite. 

When I was just two years old, my mother passed away and my father abandoned me, says my dear grandmother. She was left with the responsibility of taking care of me, her only granddaughter.

If only it were that simple!

My grandmother used to stitch clothes. As a widow with very meagre income, it was tough for her to provide for my school and meals. Eventually, one of our neighbours told about a school that provided healthy mid-day meals. My grandmother looked no further but enrolled me in that school so I can have proper meals and education too. I feel blessed to live with my grandmother. She has showered so much love and care on me that I don’t remember my parents.

I am grateful to Akshaya Patra that provides mid-day meals at school every day without fail. It relaxes my grandmother with a satisfaction that at least I am having one fine meal a day. I love ‘Pulav’ served by Akshaya Patra.

I aim to become a doctor to ‘cure my grandmother’ with whom I share a room of our kuccha house. I see her coughing all day round, increasing at night. A couple of times, after continuous coughing she gets watery eyes. I rub her back and she relaxes. She says, ‘until My Little Doctor is with me, nothing can harm me.’ My friends say, these days health care comes at a higher cost. Perhaps, my grandmother avoids check-up for the same reason. So, I want to become a doctor to cure my grandmother and other people free of cost.