V ishwajeet Salunkhe and his brother Poorav wake up at 6 every morning. One sweeps the floor, the other mops, then one makes breakfast, whi...
Vishwajeet Salunkhe and his brother Poorav wake up at 6 every morning. One sweeps the floor, the other mops, then one makes breakfast, while the other helps. Once breakfast is over, Poorav, who is 16 and studying in the tenth grade, uses his father’s old mobile phone to attend online classes. With his video off, he listens and makes notes – simultaneously, he also chops vegetables for their lunch.
By the time Poorav is finished, Vishwajeet, who is 19, is already by the stove in the adjoining kitchen, preparing their lunch. In the afternoon they eat together and get back to their studies. When there is free time, they watch something on television, but not for too long – the electricity bill is a perpetual concern. By late evening they are back in the kitchen to prepare dinner.
They seldom venture out to play with other boys in their neighbourhood, in the outskirts of the town of Osmanabad, Maharashtra. Between housework, studies and cooking, there is no time left. Their clothes are worn out, and there is scant furniture in their house. The ceiling and walls of their one-storey house are cracked and have started leaking during monsoons.
The two brothers live by themselves. This June,...
