| Genesis | |
| When people seem surprised or ask me as to why I am touched by the sufferings of others, the only glib answer that I can muster at once is that I am “made that way”. I remember when I was in 8th standard in a Government school in Kotagiri, my classmate Venkatalakshmi used to only drink water at the school tube well during lunch hour and eat nothing. After observing her for a few days I gathered some courage to ask her why she was not eating. She told me that her mother was a farm laborer and that she was one among four children. Food was hard to come by for her, leave alone parental attention. Hers was a day to day existence. Moved, I went home and told my mother that my Tiffin box of rice is not sufficient and that she should give me 2 boxes—one with dhal rice and one with curd rice. From the next day onwards Venkatalakshmi and I shared half of each box. We studied and ate together till we completed 10th standard. I was married at the age of 18, which is quite normal in rural areas. I am a native of Ettonda village near Bodhan rural town in Nizamabad district. My husband Ravi Kiran also hails from Bodhan. Luckily for me, my husband too shares my empathy and compassion towards the sufferings and hardships of fellow beings. We often used to talk about how to help people in need and want.
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