There is no excuse for anything...

Nobody or nothing can stop a man with right attitude.

And this statement is so apt for the kids of a washerwoman from Bareilly (U.P.) who has been washing clothes since last 20 years. I know this story for she comes to my place to wash clothes. The story of this lady is no different than the story of so many other women in India who have been feeding their families by working day and night, when their husbands do not realize their responsibilities, they either spend their money on liquor, gambling or other such vices. They even pose more challenges for their wives when they abuse them and take away their hard earned money.

This lady(her name is Sheela) has 2 daughters and 4 sons. Due to the financial conditions, eldest daughter had to quit school after 5^th standard and even she started washing clothes. All the other kids continued to study in a small public school. This lady tried to make sure that the kids are going to a decent enough school even if not to the best. Even the kids tried to help their mother in every small way possible. The eldest son, Mukesh, used to deliver newspapers in the morning and then used to go to school. After 12^th he started teaching kids in a coaching institute. The other daughter Savitri, used to take care of her younger brothers when her mom used to be away during the day.  All the other kids used to iron clothes on Sundays. After some time, the eldest daughter Savita was married to a local shop owner. Savitri then started helping her mother in washing clothes after school. All the kids were really good in studies and worked really hard.

After sometime, Mukesh finished his B.Sc. in Physics from Bareilly College. Then he got admission in Banaras Hindu University in M.Sc. Physics and later he did his PhD from Indore University. One of his papers got published in a journal and it got so much appreciation that he was invited to present his paper in Germany. Look at the irony, when Sheela told my mother about this news she could not even pronounce Germany properly “Somany” was what she said. She did not know what and where Germany is, all she knew was that this was some sort of good news. Later, Mukesh got an offer from a University in Germany.

Even Savitri got admission in B.Sc. in Banaras Hindu University but chose to stay in Bareilly so that she can help her mom as their financial condition is still not that good.

The brother younger to Savitri appeared for IIT JEE and got admission in ISM Dhanbad. The other two brothers are also in 12^th Standard and B.Sc.

These kids have achieved it all with their grit and determination. For them staying in a 1 room house with no power backup in a city where you do not get power for more than 12hours a day was not a challenge.  Not getting proper two course meal was not an excuse to anything. And when you speak to them you realize that, It’s not that they had some big ambitions, they just understood the efforts their mother was putting in for them, realized their own responsibility from a very young age and they continued to work hard at whatever they were doing.

 When I look at them, I can only say one thing that there is no excuse for anything.