Think about the first person you fell in love with. It’s possible you still remember everything about them. The way they moved, every line on their face, the way they smile. But, what if you couldn’t experience that altogether? What if you couldn’t see who it is you have fallen in love with or anyone around you? Sight. As taken for granted as it is, it’s invaluable.
In a recent post by Humans of Bombay, a visually impaired man from the state of Uttar Pradesh tells his story of dealing with his handicap. Declared blind by doctors at birth, he moved to Mumbai in hopes of better treatment. At the age of 16, he underwent a surgery which failed. He decided to accept his fate and move on with his life. His fierce determination kept him from giving up and he continued to live his life with his chin up.
At his job, he grew into himself, and learnt how to cook rice and pulses by himself. Once he was well settled, he tied the knot with the woman he loved. “I’ve never seen her, but I know she has a beautiful heart, because there hasn’t been a day when she’s made me feel like I lack something — we’ve lived a beautiful life together with our daughter,” he says.
Here’s what he says:
“I was declared blind by doctors just minutes after I was born. The medical facilities for the blind are not that great in UP so I was sent to Bombay when I was 16 for better treatment but my first surgery failed. I accepted my destiny and completed my schooling from the Victoria Memorial School for the blind. I loved my school life — I made great friends and learnt to be independent from them. We didn’t have a lot of money, but I was desperate to study further, so I would make and sell agarbattis after college and then study until late at night to keep up. I also performed in an orchestra from time to time and saved every penny for my post graduation and finally got a job with the State Bank of India!
I love my job — my colleagues are amazing. They taught me how to take the train independently and even how to cook my rice and pulses. When I reached a point where I was making enough money, I married the love of my life. I’ve never seen her, but I know she has a beautiful heart, because there hasn’t been a day when she’s made me feel like I lack something — we’ve lived a beautiful life together with our daughter.”
“What advice would you give people?”
“After 55 years of having no sight, the only thing I can say is that life is beautiful, if you want it to be. The second you love and accept the way you are, the world becomes a wonderful place to live. Often people ask me what my struggles are because I’m blind, but I have no struggles; no problems. The only reason for that, is that I have love in my heart and I feel it all around me from my wife at home to my colleagues at work. When I hear stories of people suffering from depression or young children committing suicide — I feel like there’s where the problem is. The lack of love is the real handicap anyone can have and these are the people who need to be loved even harder.”
Check out the full post on Humans of Bombay here:
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