Maya Kaul's Journey from Displacement to Empowerment

“Every moment — time itself and the events within it — astonish me. Books speak powerfully through silence. Every person is a good novel in themselves. And what does one really need from life? To live just this much — and to live only this much. Society, in itself, is a joyful message. Read books and wander without purpose. Life is the ultimate expression of simplicity.”

“It was an extremely difficult phase. We had nothing except education and our two sons. There were no Kashmiris in Hoshangabad, and people here had no idea about the situation there. Rumours spread that perhaps my husband had abandoned me. For my mother, who herself was a single parent, it was equally hard.”

“If even one girl learns a few English words, my mother jumps with joy. That’s where her happiness lies. She does what gives her joy, and I simply support her — because giving her happiness gives me happiness. It’s a very selfish act of joy.”

“To me, my mother feels like a little girl. Whenever I talk to her, it feels like I’m talking to a friend full of enthusiasm. She is so full of life that it energises me.”