Monthly Archive for September, 2006

In the midst of the rising mountains and bountiful rivers of the beautiful Komalu region, Shigaru was an eyesore. With no more than a few hundred people residing in its rupturing lands, it was miles away from the much fantasized beauty of its neighboring regions. The river beds had dried up ages before, thanks to exploitation by its neighbors; the fields were cracking up and the land looked like a desert while the afternoon sun blazed. The cattle and poultry were dying and if proper amenities did not reach within a year, so will the people.

Living amidst the catastrophe was the family of Chunni Rajan; not a small family by any means. Rajan and his wife Shanthana had three girls and one son – all malnourished. He lost his aging father and his youngest son within a few months gap when an epidemic had stuck the town (about three months back). His wife who was expecting another child was also taken seriously ill and her unborn child was not expected to see the next sunrise. In fact, she was having her pains and the child was expected soon.