A Mother's Light

In one of those pretty hilly village, lived a woman Asha with his son Aarav. Asha was a widow hence her husband had died over the years before Aarav came into being. Blind and an only child, he was her whole world. Neither did he ever see the hues of sky, experience a setting sun or look into his mother's eyes but indeed her warmth and voice was known to him just as much as gentle touch of hers.

I certainly did not make it easy for me to walk away and life has always been hard but especially so till now. The village people felt sorry for her and circulated stories about how unfortunate she was, but despite the promises of sympathy little by way of help actually followed. To raise a blind child under such conditions of poverty was no mean achievement. Asha toiled and labored; washed, cooked did anything she could including mending fishing nets for the fishermen in the village so that his son was cared for. But Asha never allowed self-pity to take root in her soul due to the difficulties of life.

Though he was blinded, she had seen all she needed to in her son: intelligence and kindness wrapped up with plenty of untapped potential. Every night after finishing her work, she would sit with Aarav and tell him about the non-village world—the world he could not see but well understood.

The world is a lot bigger than this place, Aarav" she would add softly and brush his hair lightly Never forget “You can do anything you set your heart to. All you have to do is believe in yourself as much as I believe in you.

Aarav sat fascinated and absorbed every word. He could not see, but he could imagine. He pictured the cities of stories his mother described, the music and people afar from home who had overcome so much to make their dreams come true. Blindness had some sort of barrier, yet his desire for knowledge never left him. He started to use some of his other senses- sound, touch, and navigation.

The fact however, was that the world on the other side of their door certainly wouldnt be as gentle. Aarav was teased by the kids in all village, bullied and name called done with him at very cruel levels. How will you ever be anyone. they would mock. Aarav held fast though, that quiet strength his mother had taught him. He was aware of how he stood out, but Asha had shown him that standing out didn't mean being inferior.

Aarav only wanted to learn more as he grew up. Asha, with her meager resources was equally determined to educate him. She recalled a boarding school for the blind located in another town, but it was very expensive and she hesitated. She had spent years working every waking an hour away she could find, giving up her own wants and needs to finally save enough money for his tuition.

The morning Aarav was off to school, Asha accompanied him till the village bus stop. She was heartened, as she swallowed with bittersweet national pride. She had never gone this long without him beside her, and the idea he was so far from us terrified me. But she knew it was for the best.

She whispered, clinging onto his hands tightly,"Aarav, remember who you are. To you, this world may come across as dark and confusing but deep beneath it all — there is a light inside of you that shines brighter than anything. Never forget that."

Aarav smiled watching her even though he was not able to see the tears. "I will make you proud, Maa. I promise."

And then he got on a bus, on his way to somewhere that not only taught him how Braille works but also prepared him for life as a blind person. The life at the school was not very easy to handle. Then there were moments of self-doubt — when Aarav was more aware than ever about the burden his complete blindness put on him. But whenever he felt demoralized, his mother's reminder came to him. Against all odds, he lived another day and showed himself—and the world—that his fate was greater than what confined him.

With every passing year, Aarav continued to bloom. He performed well academically, learning Braille within a short period and displaying exceptional proficiency in mathematics. But his teachers were impressed by how he had stood back up again. Nevertheless, music was Aarav's true passion. He was always acutely aware of sound — differences in tone, pitch. There was music program in the school, and Aarav would be somewhere between playing flutes just like they were games on some days to spending close hours getting piano notes right where his fingers leaped over keys as though dancing through recitals.

With the completion of his education, Aarav returned to a different village where not Boy but now well read confident man who was dreaming bigger than hills which he saw outside for years. He wanted to be a music teacher, too – so that he could guide other visually impaired children though the darkness and into the light his mum had helped him find.

The villagers were skeptical, at first. A blind man teaching music? They couldn't fathom it. However, Aarav knew not to be held back by his uncertainty ever since gratitude provided him a glimpse of truth. To the help of his mother, he started giving music lessons in the village. He taught and small kids, in addition to adults began flocking into him due his ability he had been devoting reluctance.

His talent reached beyond the village and Aarav was soon asked to join a reputed city- based music school for specially challenged. It was a dream realised for Aarav and more than anything, it spoke volumes about his mother.

The day he had to leave everywhere for the city, Aarav was standing again on that bus stop with Asha. But this time, it was her turn to look at me with that smile of pride on her cute face.

He then said softly "Maa, I may not have done anything without you. You were the light that lit up my darkness.

Asha had tears in her eyes but they were not of pain, there was a beaming smile. She said, "No my son, you are the light. I just helped you find it."

Watching him get on the bus, Asha stayed behind and knew that her son was going to be something special. All this pain and struggle, all the sacrifice… it had been worth it. Not only had Aarav made his own place in this world but he was successfully earning on terms of himself.

Decades passed, and he grew up to be a famous musician-educator Aarav—the one who touched the lives of hundreds and thousands of blind as well sighted students. He never let the lessons his mother taught him lapse, and he kept her strength and love in his heart wherever he went. Asha, who was now thin and gray old woman lived quite as a city dweller with her son always proud of the man he had become.

Because Aarav had never beheld the world, yet a fact that resonated with meanings far more profound than what anybody could have thought of. His blindness was not a hindrance, only allowing him to see yet deeper into the real beauty inside. The reality is that at the end of it all, mother and son had succeeded in life not for what they did lack but from the love and belief which was shared amongst each other.