Maalu R. Das, aspires to become a famous astronaut. T he 8th standard student has learnt much about Kalpana Chawla and her success only with the hope that someday she would reach her heights.

Sadly, her reality is a far cry from the high hopes that she entertains. She comes from a rural village in Vandalam, Allepey where her father earns a living by fishing while her mother works at the fisheries.

Maalu has big responsibilities on her shoulders already owing to her mother’s ill health. Due to partial deafness caused by a thyroid condition, her mother has been unable to find work lately. Maalu now helps her mother at home as well as spends her summer vacations peeling prawn shell. She spends almost all the money she earns on her family. She does manage to save a little for her school supplies.er mother had to undergo a thyroid operation.

Vidyamirtam has come as a breather, since Maalu need not worry about her educational expenses anymore.

Vishnu Vijayan and Natasha Balan