Pukai will turn seven this Saturday. He speaks a few Bengali words with a cute lisp and swallows a half of every sentence, to leave the rest of it for his listeners to gather and understand. He loves to play cricket and more than that, he loves his dog- Kalua.
He often complains about the colony boys bulling him for the rugged shirts that he chooses to wear and roam around in public. Recently, I forced him to get a haircut.
He is a slow learner but the most dedicated child among the students I teach. Atop that, he is incredibly punctual! Sharp at 5pm or a few minutes early to time, he arrives at the lecture ground carrying a notebook and a pencil, bound in a colourful piece of cloth. The first time I saw the excessively bright shade of green cloth, I pointed to it and chukled, "Seems like the rainbow has dropped one of its colour in that cloth, huh?" To that, he replied with a shy smile,"Favourite!"
He is rumoured to be a 'secret and illegitimate son' of a famous Tollywood star. But that is not exactly what makes him famous in the slumlands near Golpark. Pukai is a born artist. He only uses some crayons and papers as his tools for drawing. He lets his mind wander in the field of art, colours and a land of complete fiction. There are vibrant colours and vivid hues in each of his artworks.
The beginning of the year 2014 was a rough start for him. He lost his surrogate mother to AIDS. His biological father's murder case earlier this year is a controversial media story. The orphan never misses his parents, he says; "They are here!", he says with a solemn face, clenching his feast and thumping it against his heart.
After I started posting his sketches and colourful illustrations on social media platforms, a certain charity group showed some interest and have also promised to feature his artworks on a famous pandal's wall, during the upcoming Durga Puja.
Needless to say, this will be a huge step of success towards recognition of such hidden talents among the kids of the neglected areas in the city of joy; if accomplished. With word of mouth, more and more people are coming to know about the darling little boy and they often ask me to schedule a friendly chat session with him.
Well, I will be happy to share a little detail about where to find him!
Right under the Gariahat flyover- where the last supporting concrete column stands beside the public sanitation building- the wall of my open NGO bears miniature posters and paintings by many of the kids I share my little knowledge with.
And the most precious one among them, framed at the very topmost row is Pupai's first ever gift to me - "A puddle of colours".
He often complains about the colony boys bulling him for the rugged shirts that he chooses to wear and roam around in public. Recently, I forced him to get a haircut.
He is a slow learner but the most dedicated child among the students I teach. Atop that, he is incredibly punctual! Sharp at 5pm or a few minutes early to time, he arrives at the lecture ground carrying a notebook and a pencil, bound in a colourful piece of cloth. The first time I saw the excessively bright shade of green cloth, I pointed to it and chukled, "Seems like the rainbow has dropped one of its colour in that cloth, huh?" To that, he replied with a shy smile,"Favourite!"
He is rumoured to be a 'secret and illegitimate son' of a famous Tollywood star. But that is not exactly what makes him famous in the slumlands near Golpark. Pukai is a born artist. He only uses some crayons and papers as his tools for drawing. He lets his mind wander in the field of art, colours and a land of complete fiction. There are vibrant colours and vivid hues in each of his artworks.
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| "A puddle of colours" - Pukai, 4yrs old |
The beginning of the year 2014 was a rough start for him. He lost his surrogate mother to AIDS. His biological father's murder case earlier this year is a controversial media story. The orphan never misses his parents, he says; "They are here!", he says with a solemn face, clenching his feast and thumping it against his heart.
After I started posting his sketches and colourful illustrations on social media platforms, a certain charity group showed some interest and have also promised to feature his artworks on a famous pandal's wall, during the upcoming Durga Puja.
Needless to say, this will be a huge step of success towards recognition of such hidden talents among the kids of the neglected areas in the city of joy; if accomplished. With word of mouth, more and more people are coming to know about the darling little boy and they often ask me to schedule a friendly chat session with him.
Well, I will be happy to share a little detail about where to find him!
Right under the Gariahat flyover- where the last supporting concrete column stands beside the public sanitation building- the wall of my open NGO bears miniature posters and paintings by many of the kids I share my little knowledge with.
And the most precious one among them, framed at the very topmost row is Pupai's first ever gift to me - "A puddle of colours".
exellent
ReplyDeleteThank you so much ! :)
DeleteGood work...
ReplyDeleteThanks a ton ! :)
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