Thiruvananthapuram: Seated in the front row, Pavithra Manoj’s parents and sister struggled to see her Mohiniyattam performance at the Kerala School Kalolsavam. Their eyes filled with tears as they watched the realisation of a dream they had cherished for years. For them, seeing Pavithra, fondly called Pachu, perform on such a grand stage was a deeply emotional moment.

A Class 10 student of Holy Family High School, Pavithra owes her achievement to her dance teacher, RLV Subesh, who taught her without charging a single rupee in fees.

Her father, E A Manoj, works as a carpenter in Kidangoor, Angamaly, to make ends meet. Despite her mother, Shyni Manoj, working in a shop, the family has struggled to afford dance lessons for their children. Yet, their passion for dance remained alive, thanks to the support of kind-hearted individuals who helped pay for their training.

Pavithra’s elder sister, Parvathy, who currently studies General Nursing, had also competed in Mohiniyattam up to the district level but could not advance to the state event. Parvathy informed Subesh about her younger sister’s talent and explained that Pavithra’s dance training had been interrupted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Moved by her story, Subesh offered to train Pavithra without hesitation.

The family’s circumstances are challenging. They live in a single-room house provided under the Indira Awaas Yojana scheme and fund Parvathy’s education through a loan from a cooperative society—Pavithra dreams of becoming a doctor so she can care for her parents in their old age.