In shades of grey, they dream big

CHENNAI: Life for them has never been black and white, it has always been in shades of grey. Despite the odds, these orphaned HIV positive children nurture hopes and dreams which are sweetly innocent and a testimony to the spirit of living.Asha(14)  who is  in class 10,  has a wanderlust in her — she dreams of travelling to exotic places she has heard about. She perceives America as a land of dreams, where people have many opportunities to study and do better in life.  She says, “From what I have seen on TV and read in books, I am sure people who live in America have enough food for everybody, and all the children go to school.  There is much better development than in India.”In her long list of places to visit, figure the Seven Wonders of the World. “ Someday I want to visit Shimla and play in the snow”, she said. Asha adores Hrithik Roshan and Asin, and she has a secret dream to appear on a TV show with them, she admits with a giggle.The  Community Health Education Society (CHES) orphanage,  Thiruvallur,  provides an opportunity for children like Asha to dream. Sureshkumar(12) dreams to be a pilot. He says, “ I want to go up in the air and see what the world below looks like. I also want to take others up in the air for a ride.”He loves pets and  fondly recalls the days when he owned a little dog named John. He wants a dog of his own one day, but for now he is content with Dixon, a dog which also lives with  them in the CHES Orphanage.And then there is Bhavana(14), who loves clothes in black and white, who loves the sea,  and dreams to be a doctor. She says, “ The best thing about Chennai is the beach. Every time I go to the beach, I enjoy.”These kids also have their low moments like every one of us. Asha who was orphaned at birth, and has never seen either of her parents, treasures the only photo she has of them. “Whenever I feel low, I look at their picture and think if they were alive, how life would have been different.” Happy-go-lucky Sureshkumar, says that he feels sad when he is not able to play cricket as much as he wants. *Names changed to protect privacy