The moment her daughter Varshni Krishnakumar was born, her mother Lalitha Krishnakumar knew she would be the lucky charm for the whole family. Varshini, who is 13 now, is a pretty girl with a pleasant face. The little girl flashes a beautiful smile that gleams through her confused look. Lalitha, who hands over a cup of tea to the reporter, says in a gentle voice, “She (Varshini) is acknowledging your presence”.
Varshini was not physically challenged, but unlike others, she was not normal either.
Lalitha says they had realised with age that the little girl lacked the mental growth required for her age. She began having problems of eyesight and concentration power.
In 2009, Lalitha saw Varshini transform into what she is now. The little girl was wrongly injected for fits.
Having heard the odds the mother has battled and endured, one might be unsure of her poise and hopes.
However, despite all these, the mother and daughter display a great amount of understanding.
The determined mother displays unflinching faith in her daughter. She believes that her daughter will soon recover and become the same Varshini, who always brought immense pride to her and the family.
Enthusiastically, she runs to the room and fishes out a harvest of photographs. Narrating stories of her daughter’s success in running races and music competitions, she leafs through the testimonies of her brilliance.
She says that only she understands what her daughter wants at the very moment of it. “Only I know when Varshini wants to use the restroom and when she is hungry,” she adds.
Lalitha says since 2009 she has never attended any family functions to spend the maximum time with her daughter.
Every now and then, the mother-daughter duo communicate through eye movements, leaving us completely awestruck. The proud mother tells us that in spite of the special bond she shares with her daughter, the little one is her daddy’s girl .