Lakshmi.

I met Lakshmi at Park Circus. She said she was fourteen and wouldn't tell me where her parents are. I had a feeling she was trying to evade my questions about her mother, particularly. Could she be a sex worker? I don't have evidence, but my hunch tells me she is.
Lakshmi has never seen the inside of a school. She can't read or write. She wants to work. Minutes into our conversation, she asked me to help her find work. She can't sew, she can't cook. What does she want to do? "I could work at a brothel," she whispers hopefully.
Is this the state of children in our city? Is this what the world has taught them to expect of themselves and of life? Saying yes would be a broad generalization. Lakshmi is the first street child I've talked to who isn't eager to learn.