This dignified couple lived in the slum housing outside my condo in Gurugram, India.
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Ambitious domestic helper
I met the man (named “Islam”) on the day I moved into my new condo. He introduced himself and offered his services as a domestic helper. He spoke basic but understandable English, and seemed like an ambitious man, so I hired him on the spot.
For the next 3 years, he cleaned my home, washed my car, and occasionally helped me out in various other ways.
Ambitions fulfilled … in certain ways
A few years previously, they had come from West Bengal. They had moved more than halfway across northern India, with hopes of making a better living in the thriving new metropolis of Gurugram.
After a few years, however, they realized that they had had a better life in their home community. So, they packed up, boarded an old, slow train, and made the trip back to their home in West Bengal.
A man’s home is his castle
In the above photo taken from my 19th-floor condo, you can see the mini-slum in which Islam, his wife, and 3 kids lived. Their tiny room was directly beneath the large tree in the bottom-right corner.
Islam had told me over and over again that he just wanted to have enough money to build his own home. I lost contact with him, but I hope his family is now comfortable in their own home on their own land.
This is my entry in @juliank’s Portrait Portrait contest.
