Hope and Dreams.

His wrinkles speak of decades of blood, sweat, and hard work to earn the daily wages of Rs. 169 to provide for himself and his family. 

The t-shirt you see him wearing? 

Unwashed for weeks, it's been around for years because he can't afford such "luxuries"...he has his children's sustenance to think about. 

When was the last time he took a day's vacation? 

Hell, he can't remember. Sick days meant waking up early, slogging all day to the best of his capabilities, and earning lesser than that Rs. 169 per day because he just wasn't good enough. He blamed himself for putting his children without food for one night. He blamed himself when the floods would wash away his mud house every year. He blamed himself...because people around him suffered and he was unable to fix it. 

A year ago, he received his first funds from the Government of India to build a concrete house for himself. A year later, for the first time in his life of 67 years, he now has a proper roof over his head. He goes to sleep every night, looking at that ceiling, hoping that he'll wake up to the same sight the next morning. Praying that this is not some fantasy. 

The Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana - Gramin (PMAY-G) Government scheme (aimed at providing rural housing for all Indians below poverty line) may not be perfect, but it's a beacon of hope for the millions who need it the most. As much as we insult the work the Government does because we fail to see past the corruption and red tape, the livelihoods of those countrymen who are at the grass-root levels of our society depend on what that same Government provides for them. 

Mohanlal smiles, just like a million others, thankful for everything life has given him despite his suffering. 

It's time we grow out of our fits and fancies, and start being thankful too. 

Image taken by me (Suyash Jaju) on 17th November 2017, in Chitral, a village in the Padra block that falls under the district of Vadodara, Gujarat, India.