By: Hakim Hazik

I am saying what the Maulvi is saying. It means that I am becoming a Muslim. Being a Muslim is very nice. I have thought about it. I feel ready. Fasting is good. It makes you feel good. You have to get up in the middle of the night. I have a deep sleep. The house mother has to shake me hard to wake me up. I don’t mind.

I used to fast even two years ago when I first came to the Trust. You get to eat lots. You eat parathas. You eat mangoes. Not the half eaten ones from the trash heap, but real mangoes which nobody has eaten before. You have to go hungry through the day. In the evening you can eat twice as much again. This is fine.

The Trust is my mother and my father. Before I came to the Trust, I lived in the desert. We had some animals. There were no rains. All of them died. My father died as well. The Pir Sain came with a gun and took Adi. He gave us money and sweets. He was very nice. Adi was crying. Mukesh said that mum had sold Adi. She came back to visit on Diwali. She wore nice clothes. She said Mukesh and me should come to the city.

I like Maya Adi. I wash her car every morning. I clean the house. She brings me Samosas to break the fast. They are six rupees each. She is on the TV. She likes to dance but not when she is fasting. When she is fasting, she wears a dupatta on the head. Sometimes she cries. Sometimes she gathers a lot of big people to break the fast and cries in front of them. I used to cry as well when Adi went to the city but now I have stopped.

Adi lives on the Napier Road. She works in a theatre. She has learnt to dance. Many people come to see her show. Mukesh says Adi is lying. I don’t believe him. He is stupid.

Doctor Sahib also comes on the TV. He used to go abroad a lot. I used to polish all his shoes. He would give me fifty rupees. This was before he fell ill and became mental. He is not mental any more. All his hair had fallen. They have now grown back. He likes Samosas as well.

He asked me if I would like a big party. I said yes. He got this Maulvi who speaks a different language. I don’t understand a word of what he says. He told me not to be worried. Just repeat after him. I am trying my best. All the youngest children in the Trust are wearing nice clothes. They had to fast as well. I am really really happy. I will never be hungry again. I like being a Muslim.

Mum works at the Mukhiya’s house. When I grow up I will bring mum to the city. Being a Muslim is the best thing in the whole world. I like Ganesh. Mums says he is a powerful god. My new name is Mohammad Abdullah.