Everybody Can Love

“Everybody can love”, Smitha said standing on the podium facing hundreds of students. She adjusted the mic and continued to speak, “Today is my graduation day, and for everything that

I have become today is because of my mother.” The crowd burst into applause. She continued,

“Today I’ll tell you a story of what love can be. One night…”

21 Years Back

Rashita was waiting for the red light to turn on. It was a full moon night and the hungry dogs on the streets were creating a frenzy in one corner. The light turned red, and in no time Rashita

went up to a car and forced the driver to give ten rupees. After that, she touched his head and said, “God bless you”.

As the signal turned green the cars roared passed her and amidst the sounds, a faint cry of a baby emerged. She turned her gaze and saw that a car had left a baby on the footpath. She ran

and shouted to stop the car but in vain. She looked at the baby and estimated it to be one week old. It was a girl. Her heart sank when she left the baby in front of an orphanage.

While returning home she contemplated about the things that were stopping her. The social norms, the society, and her own community stood in her way. Her eyes started watering when

she thought about her soft arms and her small feet. 5 minutes later she was running towards the orphanage only to find the baby at the same spot and heaved a euphoric sigh of relief.

Reaching home everybody was against her and said that she was a “Kalank” in the community. She was cautioned that the police may term her as a kidnapper as the transgender community

was looked down upon and was easy to blame.

Next morning, she desperately pleaded to a local factory owner for giving her a job as she decided to leave the place because of the threats towards the baby. She started living from that

day inside the factory quarters with her baby. It was a hard time there too as she spent all her day working and looked after her with love and care with the hope that one day, she would call

her “Maa.” She named her Smitha.

One day after six years Smitha came running from school towards her mother crying and said,

“My friends make fun of you and me. You are the worst mother, I don’t love you.”

“Sorry Maa, I didn't understand that day. Your hard work paved the way for me to this podium.

I want to proudly say today that a mother can be anyone. I love you Maa.”

Smitha came down from the podium and hugged her tightly as possible and said, “I will never

let you go.”

Rashita thought of the dogs that looked at her while she picked Smitha up that night. She was proud of her daughter.