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| Mittal Patel meets Khemi ba |
Pain should only be given to the extent one can bear it.
But in the case of Khemiba, it felt like boundless suffering had taken permanent residence, and joy had forgotten her address entirely.
Khemiba is not very tall. Her stomach is severely swollen—tight like a water pot. If one didn’t know her age, they might think she was pregnant.
When we asked gently, “What happened, Ba?” she said, “It’s a tumor.”
We responded, “Then let’s get an operation done so you can be free from this.”
But Ba replied, “The doctor said if you operate, the old lady will die.”
Her face was expressionless. Eyes vacant and dull.
She lives in Navi Sedani village of Vadgam, Banaskantha.
Her house was built with government aid back in 2002, but now it’s almost in ruins. During monsoon, it leaks badly.
When our volunteers Pareshbhai and Rameshbhai learned about her condition, they visited her. They removed the damaged roof and arranged for tin sheets to be installed—covering the toilet, bathroom, and front porch with sloped roofing.
But Ba had one wish—to meet us once.
We were on our way to meet the Banaskantha Collector regarding the issues faced by nomadic communities, and we stopped by to meet Khemiba.
What we saw left us speechless.
Inside Ba’s house was a single photograph.
I asked, “Ba, who is this?”
She said, “My son. If he were alive and healthy, I wouldn’t be drowning in this sorrow.”
And with that, she broke down in tears.
Her other son is disabled—unable to walk. He wasn’t home.
We asked, “Where is he?” She said, “He’s gone out to beg for food.”
Some kind villagers occasionally bring food for this mother and son, but their situation is extremely tragic.
It’s hard to understand how such a state of life can exist.
Ba has cancer in her stomach. And she seems to be waiting for death.
Her only concern is: “If the house is repaired, my son can stay here safely. Maybe in the future, someone from the family will get married, and a girl will agree to live here.”
She talks again and again about getting the house fixed.
I heard in her cracked, resigned voice—like a stone that has turned into a mother’s heart—“Khamma, my child”, and I saw something divine in her brokenness.
Currently, mother and son are living in a relative’s house. But she says, “That’s not ours. I want something that’s truly ours.”
When we offered her rations and asked, “Will you be able to cook this?”
She pointed to her swollen stomach and said, “I can’t even sit properly.”
Then added, “If I give it to a neighbor, maybe they’ll cook it for us.”
We assured her: we will take care of that too.
We will repair Ba’s house in memory of our beloved Kushalbhai.
With the support of our respected Kishorbhai Patel—our beloved uncle, we’ve already built many ‘Kush Homes’, and Khemiba’s house will be the next in that series.
But seeing someone live in such conditions tears at your soul.
May nature never give anyone so much pain that they forget what happiness even feels like...
We prayed silently for relief from her suffering as we left her home.
And now—we will build Ba’s home, quickly
рккીркбા рк╕рк╣рки ркеાркп ркПркЯрк▓ી ркЬ ркЖрккрк╡ી. ркЖрко рккાрк░ાрк╡ાрк░ рк╡ેркжркиા ркиે рк╕ુркЦ ркдો ркЬાркгે ркЦેркоીркмાркиા ркШрк░ркиું рк╕рк░ркиાркоુ ркЬ ркнૂрк▓ી ркЧркпું рк╣ોркп ркПрк╡ું ркЕркоે ркЬોркпું.
ркмાркиી ркКંркЪાркИ ркЭાркЭી ркирк╣ીં. ркиે рккેркЯ ркдો ркЧાркЧрк░ркбી ркЬેрк╡ું, ркПркХркж ркХркаркг. ркЙંркорк░ рки ркеркИ рк╣ોркп ркдો ркЬાркгે ркЧрк░્ркнрк╡ркдી рк╣ોркп ркПрк╡ું рк▓ાркЧે.
рк╢ું ркеркпું ркмા ркПрк╡ું рккુркЫ્ркпું ркдો ркХે, ркЧાંрка ркЫે. ркЕркоે ркХрк╣્ркпું, ркдો ркУрккрк░ેрк╢рки ркХрк░ાрк╡ી рк▓ркИркП ркдркоркиે ркиિрк░ાંркд ркеાркп ркиે ркмાркП ркХрк╣્ркпું, ркбોркХ્ркЯрк░ ркиા ркХેрк╣. ркУрккрк░ેрк╢рки ркХрк░рк╢ો ркдો ркбોрк╢ી ркорк░ી ркЬрк╢ો.
ркмાркиા ркЪрк╣ેрк░ા рккрк░ ркХોркИ ркнાрк╡ ркирк╣ોркдા. ркиિрк╕્ркдેркЬ ркеркпેрк▓ી ркЖંркЦો. ркмркиાрк╕ркХાંркаાркиા рк╡ркбркЧાркоркиા ркирк╡ી рк╕ેркжркгીркЧાркоркоાં ркП рк░рк╣ે. ркШрк░ ркдો рк╕рк░ркХાрк░ી рк╕рк╣ાркпркеી 2002ркоાં ркмркиેрк▓ું. рккркг ркП ркШрк░ ркдો рк╣рк╡ે рккркбુ рккркбુ ркеાркп. ркЪોркоાрк╕ાркоાં ркдો ркЪુрк╡ા ркеાркп.
ркЕркоાрк░ા ркХાрк░્ркпркХрк░ рккрк░ેрк╢ркнાркИ ркЕркиે рк░ркоેрк╢ркнાркИркиે ркмાркиી ркоાрк╣િркдી ркорк│ી ркдે ркмેркп ркПркоркиે ркорк│્ркпા ркиે ркПркоркиા ркШрк░ рккрк░ркиું ркзાркмુ ркЙркдાрк░ી ркд્ркпાં рккркдрк░ા ркиાркЦી ркЯોркпрк▓ેркЯ ркмાркерк░ૃрко ркиે ркУркЯрк▓ા ркЖркЧрк│ рккркдрк░ા ркиાркЦી рквાрк│િркпું ркХрк░ી ркжેрк╡ા ркХрк╣્ркпું. рккркг ркПркоркиી ркИркЪ્ркЫા ркмાркиે ркПркХ рк╡ркЦркд ркЕркоે ркорк│ીркпે ркПрк╡ી ркдે ркмркиાрк╕ркХાંркаા ркХрк▓ેркХ્ркЯрк░ рк╢્рк░ીркиે рк╡િркЪрк░ркдી ркЬાркдિркУркиા ркоુркж્ркжે ркорк│рк╡ાркиું рк╣ркдું ркдે ркорк│ીркиે ркЕркоે ркЦેркоીркмા рккાрк╕ે рккрк╣ોંркЪ્ркпા. ркиે рк╕્ркеિркдિ ркЬોркИркиે ркорки рк╢ૂрки્ркп ркеркИ ркЧркпું.
ркмાркиા ркШрк░ркоાં ркПркХ рклોркЯો рк╣ркдો. ркоે ркХрк╣્ркпું, ркмા ркЖ ркХોркг ркдો ркХрк╣ે, ркоાрк░ો ркжિркХрк░ો. ркЬુрк╡ાркиркЬોркз ркП рк╣ોркд ркдો ркоાрк░ે ркЖ ркжુઃркЦркиા ркжાркбા ркиા рк╣ોркд. ркиે ркмા рк░ркбી рккркб્ркпા.
ркПркоркиા ркмીркЬા ркжિркХрк░ાркиા рккркЧ ркЪાрк▓ркдા ркиркеી. ркП рк╡િркХрк▓ાંркЧ ркЫે. ркП ркШрк░ે ркирк╣ોркдો. ркЕркоે рккુркЫркпું ркП ркХ્ркпા ркЧркпો ркдો ркХрк╣ે, ркП ркЦાрк╡ા ркоાંркЧрк╡ા ркЧркпો.
ркЖрко ркдો ркЧાркоркоાંркеી ркХેркЯрк▓ાркХ рк╕ેрк╡ાркнાрк╡ી ркоાркгрк╕ો ркЖ ркмેркп ркоા-ркжિркХрк░ાркиે ркЬркорк╡ાркиું ркЖрккી ркЬાркп. рккркг рк╕્ркеિркдિ ркЕркд્ркпંркд ркжркпркиીркп.
ркЖрк╡ી рк╣ાрк▓ркд ркХોркИркиી ркХેрко рк╣ોркп ркП ркЦрк░ેркЦрк░ ркиркеી рк╕ркоркЬાркдું.
ркмાркиા рккેркЯркоાં ркХેрки્рк╕рк░ркиી ркЧાંрка ркЫે ркиે ркмા ркЬાркгે ркорк░рк╡ાркиી рк░ાрк╣ ркЬુркП. ркШрк░ рк╕рк░ркЦુ ркеાркп ркдો ркжીркХрк░ો рк░рк╣ી рк╢ркХે ркиે ркШрк░ ркнрк╡િрк╖્ркпркоાં ркХુркЯુંркмрк╡ાрк│ાркиે ркорк│рк╢ે ркПрко рк╡િркЪાрк░ી ркХોркИ ркЪોркХрк░ી ркХрк░ી рк▓ે. ркПрк╡ી ркмાркиી ркнાрк╡ркиા. ркдે ркШрк░ рк╕рк░ркЦુ ркХрк░ી ркжોркиી рк╡ાркд ркП рк╡ાрк░ેрк╡ાрк░ે ркХрк░ે. ркЦрко્ркоા ркоાрк░ા рк▓ાрк▓ ркПрк╡ું рккрке્ркерк░ ркеркИ ркЧркпેрк▓ી ркоા ркХрк╣ે ркПрк╡ું ркЬ ркХ્ркпાંркХ ркЦેркоીркмાркоાં ркЬોркпું.
рк╣ાрк▓ ркоા-ркжીркХрк░ો рккોркдાркиા рк╕ંркмંркзીркиા ркШрк░ркоાં ркЬ рк░рк╣ે. рккркг рккોркдાркиું ркП рккોркдાркиું ркПрк╡ું ркП ркХрк╣ે.
рк░ાрк╢рки ркЖрккીркП ркдો ркдркоે рк░ાંркзો ркПрк╡ું ркмાркиે рккુркЫ્ркпું ркдો ркХрк╣ે, ркоાрк░ાркеી ркдો ркмેрк╕ાркдુંркпે ркиркеી ркЖ рккેркЯ ркЬુркУ. рккркг рккркбોрк╢ркоાં ркХોркИркХркиે ркЖрккુ ркдો ркП рк░ાંркзી ркЖрккે ркЦрк░ા.
ркЕркоે ркП рккркг ркХрк░ીрк╢ું.
ркмાркиું ркШрк░ ркЕркоાрк░ા ркк્рк░િркп ркХુрк╢рк▓ркнાркИркиી рк╕્ркоૃркдિркоાં ркаીркХ ркеાркп ркПрк╡ું ркХрк░ીрк╢ું. ркЖркжрк░ркгીркп ркХિрк╢ોрк░ркнાркИ рккркЯેрк▓- ркЕркоાрк░ા ркк્рк░િркп ркЕંркХрк▓ркиી ркоркжркжркеી ркЕркоે ркШркгા ркХુрк╢ рк╣ોрко ркмાંркз્ркпા. ркЦેркоીркмાркиું ркШрк░ рккркг ркП рк╕ીрк░ીркЭркоાં ркЖркЧрк│ ркмાંркзીрк╢ું.
рккркг ркЖрк╡ી рк╕્ркеિркдિркоાં ркЬીрк╡ркдા ркоાркгрк╕ોркиે ркЬોркИркиે ркЬીрк╡ ркмрк│ે.
ркХુркжрк░ркд ркПркЯрк▓ુંркпે ркжુઃркЦ рки ркЖркк ркХે ркЖ ркЬркЧркдркоાં рк╕ુркЦ ркЫે ркЖ рк╡ાркд ркЬ ркнૂрк▓ી ркЬрк╡ાркп... ркжુઃркЦ рк╣рк░ી рк▓ેркиી ркк્рк░ાрк░્ркеркиા ркд્ркпાંркеી ркиીркХрк│ркдા ркиીркХрк│ркдા ркИрк╢્рк╡рк░ркиે ркХрк░ી.
ркмрк╕ ркмાркиુ ркШрк░ ркЭркЯ ркмાંркзીрк╢ું.
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| The current living condition of Khemi ba |
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| Khemi ba shares her condition with Mittal Patel |
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VSSM will repair Ba’s house in memory of our beloved Kushalbhai |