Thread by @PARInetwork

It was love at first sight. Her family railed against marrying a blind man. Since then, their life has been full of twists, sometimes cruel. Yet Chitra and Muthuraja face life with courage and hope. This is their love story. 🧵

ruralindiaonline.org/en/articles/ch…

2| Chitra plucks 1-2 kilos of jasmine flowers at a farm for daily wages. She has worked long, back-breaking hours since she was 10, much of it as a farmworker and cotton mill employee

3| Chitra and Muthuraja walk back to their home in Solankuruni village, in Madurai's Thiruparankundram block, after she finishes the day's work at the jasmine farm

4| Chitra’s chest scans from when her heart ailment was diagnosed in 2017. Recently, doctors found another problem with her heart. She needs surgery, but can't afford it.

5| A month after their wedding, in 2017, Chitra began to have trouble breathing. After many tests, it was discovered that her heart was weak. The doctors said they were surprised she was alive this long. Her family – for whom she had toiled all her life – refused to help.

6| Chitra watches over her four-year-old son, Vishanth Raja, who was born after anxious months and prayers

7| Their son is their world; without him, Muthuraja says, he and Chitra would have ended their lives

8| They cannot afford to buy milk for tea – so the son drinks only black tea. “But I like this only,” says Vishanth, as if he understands his parents, their life, their losses – and their love. Vishanth usually entertains his parents by singing and dancing with them.

9| Chitra goes to her father-in-law's house nearby to use the bathroom because they don’t have one in their rented home

10| The asbestos roof of Chitra and Muthuraja’s house was blown away by strong winds and heavy rain. Their relatives helped them get a new roof sheet

11| The family of 3 walks to the pump two streets away to fetch water everyday

12| Chitra cannot lift anything heavy because of her heart condition, so Muthuraja carries the pot and she guides him

13| In their crumbling home, Chitra has safely preserved all their medical bills

14| His arm on her shoulder, she guides his steps – this husband and wife team in Madurai district faces life together. But poverty, poor health and disability make everyday existence hard for them.

15| Read their full story by @MPalani17304893 and @AparnaKarthi

ruralindiaonline.org/en/articles/ch…