28th December 1992: Finally I landed to a place where my destiny is going to be decided. A cold winter's morning, and my mom had wrapped me up with enough clothes...more then sufficient that I was literally sweating. Don't know what she is scared of, or is she really scared about the fate of this little kid?

Of this very own unlucky daughter of hers? Or did her think that this layers of old clothes wrapping me up will shield me from all the sadness, grieves, and insecurities that I am going to face from now on. Or does she feel that it will shield my nervousness and anxiety? Or my very own reluctance to part from them?

Too many questions creeping on my mind. There was this point of time when I began to hate everything even my mom and dad and the entire world. Most of all my fate. Am I doing something for the right cause? Am I going to sacrifice my precious childhood days and work for some strangers just for the sake of my family?

I know I was doing something constructive for my family; there is no gain without pain.....BUT WHY ME?

Call me selfish but I wasn't big enough to understand the complexities of life. I still crave for all the candies and beautiful frocks in this world...all mine. But here, I don't even understand to whom I rightly belonged to, who my guardians are.

My mother came along with me to Imphal, my father couldn't make it. We went straight to one of my relative through whom my new home contacted us. We call her Eeney (Aunty). A tall plump lady, I had never liked her though she had done so much for our family.

A child can never be diplomatic nor her instinct. Maybe because she was going to be one of the reason, why I have to get separated from my family, that I never liked her. That day I hate her more. I cursed her. I began to wonder what's wrong with me that I began to hate everything.

Finally I landed to my new "home". It was a beautiful house incomparable with our small hut. It really looked like a house (I know what is a real home but I had never lived in a real house). But it wasn't fascinating to me at all. It doesn't have the same warmth and feelings that I have at our small hut. Or will it ...someday?

But one thing I liked about this new "home". There was a small pond carefully maintained with clear waters and flowers growing around it, even signs of water lily. It was so similar with my old home, my very own lake. I was happy that at least I have something to give me company when I want to get lost in my old sweet memories.

The lady of the house came out. She was sweet looking and talk sweetly. Must be in her thirties. But I would never go for sweet looks and sweet talks. Have to be on guard from now on. If they want me to grow up, I will grow up (how funny I was!)

She told us about her family. She was alone that day. I came to know that she was expecting a baby after five months. There were just two of them in the house, she, her husband and her father-in-law. But theirs was a big colony, all their relatives clubbed together in one residential area. All the cousins, brother-in-law, their wives, children etc.

I came to know that she needed somebody to help her as she have to go for her office works everyday, there was nobody to attend to her father-in-law while they are away as he was too old and bed ridden. Besides she was also an expecting mother.

My mother and Eeney left in the evening after having lunch together with us. Aunty (as it was the term of reference to my new guardian now or "employer". how I hate saying this) talked with me for sometime, asked me irritating questions and told me to be comfortable and feel myself at home.

But wasn't she supposed to know that it was the most uncomfortable moment in my life and maybe the rest of days to come. She told me to take a nap. I felt relieved. Alas! I can be alone. As I lay on the bed (she was kind enough to give me a comfortable bed to sleep or a place to stretched my crooked bones after a hard day's work for days to come, my wicked mind. What was I thinking...I thought I would have to sleep in the kitchen alone), I began to wonder what's happening with my life.

Why all these sudden unfortunate changes. I couldn't remember how much I cried for when I woke up the pillow was all drenched and wet. I had never felt so lonely in my entire life. I couldn't remember whom all I didn't cursed for I cursed everyone, even God, even myself for I felt that I was exaggerating on one hand(or am I?).

Aunty woke me up at dinner time. Uncle was also back. How kind of her. She had cooked fish and eromba (a Manipuri dish). And had given me ample amount of time to be with myself. This little act of affection really meant so much for me in this new environment.

I really thanked her in my heart. But I wasn't sure if the days to come will still be a bit fine as this starting day. I prayed to the same God whom I had been cursing for he is the only one I can completely trust upon in this unknown "home".

I cried everyday initially, cursing my fate, waiting for my parents to rescue me though uncle and aunty were kind to me. But my parents didn't even care to visit me often. I used to wait for their visit every weekend, then months and then never. How I used to wait for festive occasions to go back home.

My day starts with cleaning the whole house while aunty makes breakfast. It was not a tough job though. After that I have to washed clothes and make lunch ready by eight o'clock, for aunty and uncle have to leave for work by nine. In the afternoon I don't have much to do but I have to attend to my new grandfather.

He is bed ridden and needs company, to talk with him and give him food. He was so old that I couldn't help loving him because I had never seen both my maternal and paternal grandfather. I wasn't uncomfortable with him, the only person I was comfortable with. May be because I saw a part of me in him, the same helplessness when I wanted to do many better things but couldn't.

His vision was diminishing and he couldn't hear properly. But I tried to communicate with him as much as I can. Sometimes repeating my same words all over again and sitting with him for hours can be irritating but I liked it.

He called me "Ibemu". Oh! grandpa with his dim vision can make out that I was a dark skinned child. But he didn't know that I am going to become fairer day by day. Because some of my friends who worked in Imphal came back all fair and glowing. I wish grandpa would see that day so that he would never call me Ibemu again, though I somehow liked the name.

But it wasn't going to happen. For Grandpa passed away after four months. Sweet Grandpa would never see me becoming fair skinned. How unfair life is? The only person who used to give me company (when I was supposed to give him company) passed away just like that, giving me fresh wound in my incompletely healed heart.

I missed you Grandpa, now and for all the days to come.

17th May, 1993: This day was a very significant day of my new home. It's an old saying that the soul of our ancestor who died recently gets manifested in the new baby born to the family.

Little Viky with all his innocence and irresistible cuteness was born in the family. It seems as if Grandpa was re-born in the family. My happiness was unbound.

Grandpa do really wanted to see me becoming fairer and giving me company! Little Viky do really looked like Grandpa with the little mole under his chin. I wanted to see him grow.

To be continued ....

NOTE:
There is strong opposition against child labour in the entire world and mostly in the third world country. In our very own state manipur,there is a common practise of giving away innocent children as domestic helpers by the poor parents. Some are lucky enough to be treated as the children of the new home while some children have to face the brutality from their "new home". But even if the childrens are being adopted as the children of the new home,what about the innocence that they have to compromise with by exposing them to the various facets of life at an early age? Every one of these children have a story of their own which is as important as anyone of our life story. They are the unsung heroes who had learnt to face life"s challenges since early childhood. My story is an adaptation from the real life story of one of the domestic helper whom I know and had grown up with though the names and certain events have been slightly modified.