The small melancholic eyes searches for a handful of happiness by selling balloons.  Rather than holding pencil and copy, strings of responsibilities are tangled in between the small fingers whether it is acceptable for them or not but their fate has been defined by their poverty.

Near Sk. Puri Park in Boring Road, Patna there is always a plenty of crowd and in between the crowd every evening we see small children selling balloons and begging like: “Didi/bhaiya le lo na”. There comes a girl named Sunaina every evening. She lives near Boring Road with her parents and two siblings. Her father is a rickshaw puller and her mother is a maid. Just to add some extra earning that would help her and her family, she sells balloons.

‘Responsibility doesn’t come with age, it comes with situation’.  Sunaina, the balloon seller is just 10 years old and she is burdened by the responsibilities. She said by her own that she goes to Aanganbaari school daily she wants to learn but the school doesn’t provide that much of facilities and education. She said- We are poor people we are defined to live like this.

Life is always being harsh, but it is in our hand whether we’ll make it simpler or complex. Sunaina earns ₹50 to ₹100 daily by selling balloon to add up in the earnings of her parents to meet the basic needs of her house. Some days she earns ample of money while some days she returns empty handed. She mentioned that we have been taught by our parents that this is our life, this is our status and we have to accept this but she always returns home with hope that someday she will change her life.

Aastha Kashyap

  children, livelihood, Patna