ALO-ANDHARI

WHEN SHE WAS VERY YOUNG, BABY HALDER WAS ABANDONED BY HER MOTHER AND LEFT WITH A CRUEL, ABUSIVE FATHER. SHE WAS MARRIED OFF AT TWELVE TO A MAN TWICE HER AGE WHO BEAT HER. AT FOURTEEN, SHE WAS A MOTHER HERSELF. HER EARLY LIFE WAS MARKED BY OVERWHELMING CHALLENGES AND HEARTBREAK UNTIL, EXHAUSTED AND DESPERATE, SHE FLED WITH HER THREE CHILDREN TO DELHI, TO WORK AS A MAID IN SOME OF THE CITY`S WEALTHIEST HOMES. EXPECTED TO SERVE HER EMPLOYERS` EVERY DEMAND, SHE FACED A STAGGERING WORKLOAD THAT OFTEN LEFT HER NO TIME TO CARE FOR HER OWN CHILDREN. BUT SHE NEVER COMPLAINED, FOR SUCH IS THE LOT OF THE POOR IN MODERN-DAY INDIA. WRITTEN WITHOUT A TRACE OF SELF-PITY, A LIFE LESS ORDINARY IS A SHOCKING LOOK DEEP INSIDE A WORLD OF POVERTY AND SUBJUGATION THAT FEW OUTSIDERS KNOW ABOUT-AND AN INSPIRING TRUE STORY OF ONE REMARKABLE WOMAN`S STRENGTH, COURAGE, AND DETERMINATION TO SOAR ABOVE HER CIRCUMSTANCES. जर तेरा वर्षं पूर्ण होण्यापूर्वीच, सातवीतूनच शाळेला रामराम ठोवूÂन, एका अडाणी, मंदबुद्धी आणि दुप्पट वयाच्या माणसाबरोबर तुझी गाठ बांधली गेली, अंगावर दूध पिणारं एक मूल असतानाच दुसNयाची चाहूल लागली आणि पाहता पाहता तीन मुलांची आई झालीस, पंचविशीतच शरीर आणि मन थकलं असतानाही मुलांसकट दूर एखाद्या अनोळख्या गावी जावं लागलं. पोटासाठी मोलकरणीचं काम करतानाच मुलांची दुखणी, अभ्यास, पैसा ह्यांची सतत काळजी वाहावी लागली आणि असं असतानासुद्धा, स्वत:च्या ह्या धकाधकीच्या आयुष्यात सर्व अडचणींना तोंड देत इथपर्यंत कसे आलो, हे सातवीपर्यंत शिकलेल्या मोडक्यातोडक्या पण अतिशय सरळ भाषेत सांगण्याची जिद्द तुझ्यात असेल, तर सखे, तुझं दुसरं नाव असेल बेबी हालदार. - जिच्या 'आलो-आंधारि' ह्या आत्मकथेनं साहित्य-जगतात खळबळ उडवून दिली.