The sun filtered through a thin veil of smog as the path wound into narrower and narrower lanes. Street vendors called out over the hum of scooters, the air rich with the aroma of fried snacks and fresh jalebis curling in hot oil. Our destination – Deepalaya – Girl Child Education Project Noida – was quite metaphorically landmarked by a Mahila Park and a sweet shop, and right across this window lined with laddoos, was the school gate that finally came into view.
A “Good morning, ma’am!” rang out in unison, in the same characteristic tones engraved into everyone’s childhood memories. Our weariness evaporated in an instant at the sight of children waiting, with their eyes fixed forward, faces gleaming with curiosity for what is to come.
At the front, speaker for the day Sheuli Ghosh, who happens to be a storyteller, teacher, puppeteer, and resource person associated with CBSE, began laying out her props. Colourful cutouts of characters, places and cues for the story ahead. The moment the first cutout was pulled out of her bag, the children surged forward, eager to share their own creations. Vibrant tirangas, drawings of fruits and animals, notebooks adorned with stars and “V. Good” in red ink. Teachers stepped in to settle them down, and the children promptly obeyed, their excitement spilling onto us regardless.
The story of the day was Tine and the Faraway Mountain, the extraordinary journey of Tine Mena, the first woman from Northeast India (she is from Arunachal Pradesh) to scale Mount Everest.
“How tall could the mountain possibly be, ma’am?” someone asked. “As tall as 5,000 men standing on top of each other, can you imagine that?!” Sheuli replied. “YES, MA’AM!” the children chorused, their voices resounding beyond the classroom walls.
As the story wove on, the children moved closer in. Tine’s dream was not a quiet one, it was fierce, determined, carried through an unwavering belief in herself. Every detail, from her first steps in the hills to the final climb, seemed to ripple through the room. Sheuli’s voice rose and fell, asking questions, prompting answers that came back like arrows – quick, clear and confident, right from the beginning to the end.
The lesson? That each of us carries a faraway mountain, a peak only we can see. And with enough belief and effort, the highest heights can certainly be scaled. Looking at the girls in that room, the truth of it was almost overwhelming. Many were already navigating life’s complexities far earlier than they should have to, yet their eyes carried the shine of unspent possibility. Some might become artists, writers, doctors, teachers, or leaders; others might find paths no one had yet discovered. All they need is what every dreamer needs – a chance, and a voice telling them that they can.
As the story ended, Sheuli moved to the final activity. Small slips of paper were passed onto everyone. “Write down,” she said, “what you want to become when you grow up.” Right then, a teacher told us that some of them had not yet learnt how to write. Little did we know, dreams do not necessarily need words.
“Hum drawing karenge ma’am!” (We will draw, ma’am!)
The soft scratch of pencils and the rustle of paper filled the room and soon every slip that was handed in carried a quiet declaration of hope. They were asked to take these back and put it on their walls, as a reminder of what awaits them.
As the session ended, we were once again reminded how telling stories is like planting seeds. They render our dreams tangible.
This day of stories, laughter, and hope was made possible with the support of Perfetti Van Melle. And for these children, perhaps, it was one more step towards their own faraway mountain.
