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Now, read the story.

This is the inspiring story of a visually challenged boy who feels he is of no use to anyone. His life
revolves around his family and herding his father’s goats. Then, one day in 1857, his father and
elder brother leave to join the troops of Tantia Tope (one of the Indian leaders who was fighting
the British rulers). As the boy feels sad, forlorn and helpless, fate brings him face to face with
Tantia Tope. As a herdsman, he leads the troops of the latter up a hill. This changes the course of
the battle.
In reality, this battle took place in 1857 near Jhansi, a small town of Uttar Pradesh. I spent my
childhood in Jhansi and there was a hill opposite our house. A poor blind boy lived in our out-
house and was my great friend. He played the flute beautifully. This story was inspired by this
childhood friendship.

Sukhram Lodhi sat leaning against a rock, his turban over his eyes, and the warmth of

the sun on his bare feet. His feet told him where he was. They knew the feel of the sand
and the stones, and the different kinds of grass.
To his right, a bird twittered. It seemed to Sukhram that he knew

what it was saying. Because he was blind, the birds and
beasts let him into their world, made him a party to it. He
never spoke of this except to his brother Rajbir and
his grandfather Shivpriya Chauhan. They never
laughed at him for his fancies.

Sukhram was fourteen and he knew
that people felt sorry for him. But he
thought, if only they could guess

how beautiful his world was,
they would envy him. Most
people did not know about
the little rustlings in
the grass. They did

not know the feel
of things, round
things like eggs,
and water-worn
stones, or rough
things like rocks.

They did not know
anything about fancies: imagination
smells. envy: to wish you had the same qualities, possessions, opportunities, etc., as somebody else
rustlings: muffled crackling sounds like those caused by the movement of dry leaves or paper

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