The Gymnast

She was all of nine years. Her big black eyes shone brightly on her dusky face covered with a thin film of sweat, as she twisted and twirled her little frame from one corner of the porch to the other. We were waiting for our ‘prasad’ in the Kamakhya Devi temple, watching with awe at her adopting different gymnastic postures with ease.

She lived in a nearby village. Every day at the crack of dawn, she reached the Kamakhya temple with her sick mother and two younger brothers. She positioned them in front of the gates with the other beggars and scampered her way up the stairs to the porch in front of the main temple to begin her performance. As the sounds of clapping and coins clinking on the floor filled the air, she deftly collected the coins in her belt pouch, simultaneously striking difficult poses in front of her benefactors in a manner of thanks. Once in a while some rich devotee threw a 10-rupee note bringing out a broad smile on the intense face.

She had never been to a school, but planned to send her brothers someday, when her mother’s treatment was complete. In the meantime, she twisted and twirled and contorted her body in impossible shapes, day after day on the front porch of the temple, entertaining the waiting devotees and refining her craft. As we waved her goodbye, she raised her proud little chin and asked “Did you like my show?” We nodded “Yes” as we turned to leave, silently praying to Devi Maa to look after this little dreamer.

Story by-- Madhumita

Photos by-- Andy



 

Comments

  1. AnonymousApril 18, 2023 at 9:09 AM

    Fantastic

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousApril 18, 2023 at 9:16 AM

    Profound.
    Ma kali personified!

    ReplyDelete
  3. SGApril 18, 2023 at 9:31 AM

    Captivating pic with a thought-provoking narrative. Such performers make us realise how fortunate we are since birth, privileged with so much "haves" when these fellow humans try to outlive innumerable "have nots" !!
    May Maa Kamakhya fulfil her wishes and give her solace and happiness in the days ahead....

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousApril 18, 2023 at 9:57 AM

    Fabulous. Both the snap and narration. Reminds us of the stark reality....while we all strive to improve our lives....human sensitivity remains of prime importance. Anirbid

    ReplyDelete
  5. Ashok SomApril 18, 2023 at 10:36 AM

    So many things to for such a little one... Yet her face seemed happy, day-in, day-out. That is the most important lesson.

    ReplyDelete
  6. AnonymousApril 18, 2023 at 11:42 AM

    The ending was beautiful … So many lives - so many stories

    ReplyDelete
  7. SumanApril 18, 2023 at 1:13 PM

    Sensitive, thought provoking and well written along with the poignant photo

    ReplyDelete
  8. SantanuApril 18, 2023 at 8:05 PM

    Excellent !! Had literally visualized in infront of my eyes reading this..

    ReplyDelete
  9. SRCApril 19, 2023 at 2:00 AM

    Excellent 👍

    ReplyDelete
  10. AnonymousApril 19, 2023 at 11:35 AM

    Wonderful,thought provoking and poignant.

    ReplyDelete
  11. AnonymousApril 19, 2023 at 12:33 PM

    Poignant story of a little girl's daily fight to overcome her profound struggles

    ReplyDelete
  12. AnonymousApril 19, 2023 at 12:36 PM

    Poignant story of a little girl's daily fight to overcome her profound struggles

    ReplyDelete
  13. AnonymousApril 19, 2023 at 1:34 PM

    So well written I wish the piece hadn’t ended so soon. Andy’s pic perfectly complements Madhumita’s poetry.

    ReplyDelete
  14. AnonymousApril 19, 2023 at 7:53 PM

    Simply amazing, not only the craft which is reflected of the little girl in this blog, but also the finesse of the exquisite writing skills of the author rightly capturing the story of the protagonist. Well done Madhumita and Andy ~ DB

    ReplyDelete
  15. AnonymousApril 26, 2023 at 10:40 PM

    Excellent 👍

    ReplyDelete

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