Nagpur

The story of Rahim Bhai and his wife, Ansana, who have been living in their three-wheeler auto-rickshaw for 20 years, symbolises the "saat janam ka bandhan" promise couples make at the time of their wedding, meaning a promise of eternal love and support, come what may.

The couple, who live off alms, also have children and grandchildren, but they have abandoned them to live a hard and miserable life in which they are a support to each other.

Enduring the scorching sun, wind, and rain together, Rahim Bhai and his wife, Ansana, survive on whatever alms they receive. Their rickshaw is parked at a square in the city.

While their story might sound like a script for a movie, a closer look at Rahim Bhai and Ansana's life reveals the unbreakable bond of a husband and wife. Their life is a testament to their sense of responsibility and duty towards each other.

Ansana is disabled and cannot stand on her own feet.  Rahim Bhai supports her with both hands and gently lifts her out of the rickshaw. He takes down the wheelchair, which is permanently kept on top of the rickshaw, and settles her into it. He takes care that his wife faces no discomfort.

During the day, he drives her through select areas of Nagpur like Dhantoli, Gorakshan, and Janta Chowk, asking for alms.

If they are lucky, they get a full meal; otherwise, the day passes on an empty stomach. Their life on this three-wheeler runs entirely on the help of strangers.

Despite this harsh struggle for survival, what touches the hearts of onlookers is the couple's love for each other and the warmth in their relationship. Even in the twilight of their lives and in such unfortunate circumstances, it is Rahim Bhai and Ansana's mutual trust and companionship that lightens the burden of existence.

However, their sorrow-filled story inevitably raises a question mark before society about how we treat our elderly.

Rahim Bhai, with his long white beard, wearing a vest and a lungi wrapped up to his knees, might look rugged from the outside, but he is soft at heart. Although life is difficult for both of them, they live by becoming each other's support. Rahim Bhai performs all the small and big tasks that Ansana cannot do due to her disability, finding satisfaction in serving his wife.

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He says he has forgotten his children, but seeing a smile on his wife's face gives him the strength to live. With a mischievous smile, he says, "Saat janmo ka saath hai, nibhana toh padega" (We are bound together for seven lives, I have to fulfil my promise).