PATHANAMTHITTA: Vazhamuttom is a village township near Pathanamthitta. Among the many archetypal houses in this area, one stays different. It can be barely called a house since the setting is tarpaulin and consists of just one room. This is the abode of 20-year-old Yadhukrishnan. He lives with his mentally imbalanced mother and uncle, and his two aged grandparents. All lives are clogged up inside this dingy space.

However, this sombre living and feeble setting didn’t stop Yadhu from getting 80% marks in 12 th standard examinations. His routine was to sit near a corner and seek the help of a kerosene lamp to read books. It paid dividends as he scored top in exams despite having the bare minimum amenities to learn. Alas, now, Yadhu’s academic venture is partially on a halt as he is on a run to feed his family and the leftover lucre fits no good for his education.

Yadhu is currently doing gigs as a painter and sometimes works on carpentry to help his family fight hunger. Yadhu’s mother Pushpa returned from Thrissur mental clinic only recently. Somebody needs to be at home always or else his mother and uncle would try running away creating havoc in the neighborhood. His grandparents occasionally go for labor work.

Yadhu yearns for a course in computer engineering. However, money is putting a roadblock and the treatment for his mother and uncle also requires a decent sum, which is beyond the limits of what he could gather. Whatever his predicament, Yadhu has applied for a polytechnic course.