Greetings friends!

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His name was Netrapal. Netrapal mean protector of eyes in Hindi. Contrary to his name he had lived his entire childhood in a world where sound, touch and imagination were the only ways he could “see” the world. He had never witnessed sunshine, yet he was curious to know about it. His blindness was curable but his parents’ poverty stood like a wall between him and the world of light.

One afternoon, a car full of people accidentally took a wrong turn and entered his small village. Netrapal was sitting outside his home when he heard unfamiliar voices. He walked toward them and realized they were lost. With the natural kindness he carried in his heart, he invited them to his home and offered water and snacks.

They had no idea that he was blind until his mother came from her work and gently guided him by the arm. The visitors were stunned. They asked about his condition, and realized that his mother was unable to get a treatment for him because of her poverty. They were from a charity organization and made a decision that would change his life forever.

They invited them to the city for his treatment. They took Netrapal and his mother to a large hospital. The doctor examined him carefully and confirmed that his blindness could be cured. His surgery was successful.

A few days later, when he was discharged, Netrapal stepped out of the hospital doors. The world was too bright for him. He blinked rapidly while his heart was pounding. Then he looked up at the sky. His eyes were wide and his breath was trembling. A golden glow poured over him.

He ran forward, laughing, crying, overwhelmed. Pointing upward, he asked the people around him, “Is this… is this the sunshine?”
He had never seen it before. And now, seeing it for the first time, he didn’t even know what to call it.

But he felt its warmth and brightness. This was the moment when Netrapal finally understood the meaning of his name.