My name is Monu. I am 11 years old. I have been in this park for the last 8 years. We came here to live from Mughal Sarai. My mother, my father, my uncle, my sister and I came here to live 8 years ago. We made a little hut out of plastic sheets. Mughal Sarai was a horrible place which is why we left. People say bad things there.
My parents died here in the park. My father died 5 years ago and my mother died 3 years ago. My father was ill and my mother had a heart injury. It was late at night and the hospital was shut. I saw both my father and mother die in front of me.
I have a photograph of my mother. She used to cook Dal Bhaat Chowka for me and I really liked it. Apart from the photograph I don’t remember anything else about her. I don’t remember anything about my father. I miss them both.
Now my uncle gives me money. He is blind and he begs for a living. I also play marbles, cricket, gulli danda and make some money from that too. I make around 50-60 rupees everyday. I also sell leaves. We pluck leaves nearby and sell them for around 50 rupees.
I want to make my life better. I want to do good things, I don’t want to do anything bad. I want to complete my education. By studying I will become a good man, I will get a good job when I grow up. I’ll get a house, I’ll live there, I’ll do no mischief. Then we can live there like good people.
I still can’t read or write much. I can spell my name M-O-N-U.