Myself, Priya Saini

I am Priya Saini, the niece of Rajan who loves me and took care of me. When I was born, she also taught and guided me when I was 3 yrs old. And when I was 5 yrs old, she did a love marriage against the family and left us to live in Varanasi with Sukhdev her husband.

Now I am grown up & still now I have a deep love for my aunty & I am proud of her and her family. Rajan, Sukhdev, 11yrs Daisy & 5 yrs Rosy, filled with so much love. My father and mother have accepted their love marriage.

As my beloved aunt Rajan is now running a free school for the poor and needy children and I visited my aunt’s place to spend my vacations.

As, on 15th of August which is our Independence day, after the flag hosting ceremony, the students of Buddha’s Smile School delivered the speech and did some dance programme. Although I speak from my own experience, I feel that all sentient beings, particularly human beings, want happiness, love and care & do not want pain & suffering. On those grounds, we have every right to be happy & to use different methods or means to overcome suffering and to achieve happier lives. I exchanged my feelings with them and also shared their thoughts and soon realised how tough their life is; so pathetic; so miserable. Poverty is a curse. I felt that these students have the determination of a mirror which never loses it’s ability to reflect in spite of it being broken into pieces.

I was observing these students and their action; suddenly tears rolled down from my eyes and I felt that really these children need love, attention, education, care for making their future bright and colourful.

From the deep core of my heart; I am feeling proud of my Rajan aunty who is sincerely doing her job with full dedication. She is very kind hearted women, who is enlightening the minds of young children. She showers her motherly affection on these needy children. According to me , only eyes speak the truth, neither the mirror nor the lips.., the person who loves can see the pain in the eyes while everyone else still believes in only smile. I have noticed , immense love, care and respect towards me from these children.

As, I am a student belonging to a middle class family with lots of hopes & big dreams in my small socket of eyes. From my childhood, the thing which stood as a obstacle in my educational career is ‘money’. But fortunately, money never motivates me, the thing which motivates me is my grade in the class. I am really impressed by the way, the students of BSS, are learning. Upon asked by my, Rajan aunty, I have got the opportunity to teach these students and I felt myself very fortunate to share my knowledge with them.

These children are ignored and not cared at all in their home. Here, in U.P I saw that untouchables and caste system is still prevailing in the society. There is a great deal to teach these children as they do not get support and guidance from their parents. We must seek our happiness in the happiness of all & regard the sorrows & sufferings of others as yours and hasten to assuage them. This is a true life.

It’s very difficult to find someone like Rajan (my aunt). It’s like opening a 1,000 shells under the sea to find one pearl. Anybody can love a rosebud it takes a great deal to love a leaf! It’s very easy to love someone who is beautiful, but love the one who can make your life beautiful…I have spend my few vacations with BSS children and provided the vocational training to them. They all were excited and curious to learn and gain the knowledge. It’s true to say that when you start caring about yourself, you start loving somebody. But when you start caring about others, somebody will start loving you. It was my first experience though it was pleasant. From these experiences my life has been enriched and I have learned many valuable things.

Priya Saini, a student of microbiology; B.SC (Honours) studying at Calcutta university (Maulana azad college) – Govt. college of West Bengal.

One Response to “Myself, Priya Saini”

  1. Karen Kotoske

    Priya, you also are a pearl. A rosebud. Your writing about the time you spent at BSS and with your aunty Rajan poured from the soul of a poet.

    You wrote many truths, including ” It’s true to say that when you start caring about yourself, you start loving somebody. But when you start caring about others, somebody will start loving you. ”

    In your words you captured the essential truth of your aunty Rajan’s being and work. She loves her students as much as she loves her own best self, and they in return love her spontaneously with a love stemming from the newly-discovered goodness that lies within them, the goodness which your aunty Rajan has helped them to uncover.

    Priya, your writing touched me deeply. I do hope you will be able to return to BSS to share with the children your God given ability to express one’s feelings in the language of poetry. I appreciated your sharing the depths of your heart.
    Karen Kotoske