13-Year-Old Sanju Sells Tea on Train to Cover Medical Expenses for His Sick Father Without a Roof Over His Head
**Nadia:** At just 13 years old, he should be carrying a school bag and holding books and notebooks. But life has pushed him into harsh realities much earlier. He lost his mother to cancer. His sick father is practically bedridden. To cover his father's medical expenses and the household costs, sixth grader **Sanju Das** has to sell tea on trains and in various markets.
Sanju spends his days in a small tin house by the railway line next to platform number one at the Phulia station, somehow managing to take care of his father. There is no permanent roof over his head. Recently, they received an eviction notice from the railway authorities, adding new uncertainty to their lives.
### Sanju Lost His Mother to Cancer
Nearly two years ago, Sanju's mother passed away due to cancer. After her death, his father fell ill. About a year and a half ago, Sanju's father developed nerve problems. Currently, he cannot walk properly and is practically bedridden.
Once, Sanju's father worked as a mason to support the family. But after falling ill, he could no longer work, and all responsibilities fell on the shoulders of just 13-year-old Sanju.
### The Teen Manages Everything from Caring for His Father to Selling Tea
Sanju has to handle almost all household chores, from taking care of his father, cooking, cleaning the house, washing dishes, to giving his father regular massages. Alongside, he also has to continue his studies.
Sanju is a sixth-grade student at **Shikhaniketan Vidyamandir** in Phulia. He tries to go to school four days a week. On the remaining three days, he makes tea himself and sells it on trains and in various markets. The little money he earns from selling tea is used to buy his father's medicines and cover daily household expenses.
Due to financial constraints, Sanju's tuition has also stopped. But despite all the adversities, he is not willing to give up on his studies. Sanju dreams of standing on his own feet in the future.
### Now Facing the Risk of Losing the Roof Over His Head
In the midst of this struggle for survival, a new danger has emerged. Because they live on railway land, the railway authorities have issued an eviction notice for Sanju's tin house.
As a result, the biggest question now is—if evicted, where will 13-year-old Sanju go with his sick father?
On one hand, there are the medical expenses for his father, on the other, the responsibilities of the household and his own studies. On top of that, there is the fear of losing the little shelter he has. Overall, both father and son are living in extreme uncertainty.
At an age when he should be busy playing with friends and studying in school, Sanju has taken on the burden of the household. It remains to be seen whether any helping hand from the administration or society reaches this little warrior in his fight for life.
