Kolkata balloon seller clears ICSE, says ‘if I stop selling, my studies would stop'

KOLKATA : On vibrant, neon-lit corners of Park Street, a 24year-old moves through the evening rush carrying a cluster of brightly coloured balloons to sell. Neha Khatoon is a familiar face to many regular visitors to the area, but few know the struggle and determination behind her success in the ICSE exam. She has scored 45%, a feat given her circumstances.

“Life has been difficult since childhood. I have been selling balloons on Park Street from a young age to support my family. But I always wanted to study to make our lives better. Hence, I had no option but to balance my day between school, tuition and selling balloons from 7pm to 9pm. I could only study early in the morning and at night,” Neha, a student at Harrow Hall on Park Street, told TOI a couple of days after the ICSE results were announced on April 30.

She is the first person in her family to pass a public exam. “I am grateful to my school, teachers, officials and Mr & Mrs Mantosh,” Neha said, referring to Charles Mantosh, treasurer of the school, and his wife. “Mrs Mantosh used to teach me for hours on Saturdays and Sundays.”

Neha, who lives with her mother and younger brother in a one-room house in a slum in Lohapool, near Park Circus, said her target is to sell 10 to 15 balloons every day.

“Each balloon costs Rs 20. I try to earn between Rs 200 and Rs 300 a day. On weekends, I start selling early,” she said.

I know that if I stop selling balloons, my education will stop, too: Neha


Neha said : “Walking from one pavement to another through the crowd often feels tiring. My legs ache, but I know that if I stop selling balloons, my education will stop, too. My mother, who works as a house help, has not been keeping well.”


Despite the hardship, Neha wants to study management and become financially independent. She hopes to help other underprivileged children and improve her family’s standard of living.


“I don’t want others to suffer like me,” she said. “We live in one room in a slum. All I aspire to is live a humble life in a decent house amid a healthy environment.”


For Neha, selling balloons in front of glitzy restaurants serves as a cruel reminder of her “hand-to-mouth” existence. “Dal and rice are our staple food... Standing on the road, I watch all sorts of exotic food being served to guests at the restaurants. I wish I could enter and taste. But…” she choked on tears.


Neha needs to enrol in another school as Harrow Hall is up to class 10.


“The financial part also needs to be taken care of by someone. I believe the city has many generous people and would request them to come forward to help Neha realise her dream,” said Mantosh, the school’s treasurer.


His wife J Mantosh, a member of the school’s management committee, said, “Everyone acted as a team to support Neha. My teachers would help me... I would sit with her on Saturdays and Sundays to prepare her. I am so happy for her.”


Neha’s education in classes 9 and 10 was sponsored by Wow! Momo. “I saw her two or three times selling balloons while I was visiting my Park Street store. I asked her why she was selling balloons. She told me she has to support her family. I saw potential in her... We paid her school fees and our guys would buy books for her. I am glad she completed her ICSE and we will support her in whatever she wants to do going forward,” said Sagar Daryani, founder and CEO of Wow! Momo.
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