Thiruvananthapuram; The boulders and soil that thundered down with the fatal landslide at Vellarmala, Wayanad, have now dried and hardened.

Amid the debris, there likely still lies a notebook, protected by a plastic sheet, untouched by time. Listed in it are the innocent yet resolute dreams scribbled by a 13-year-old boy who defied death that tragic day.

Among the long list of wishes marked in the notebook was a longing to visit Thiruvananthapuram and its enchanting coastline. Yesterday, that wish came true. Amaljith, a Class 8 student of Wayanad Vellarmala GCHSSS, set his eyes on the city of Thiruvananthapuram for the very first time.

At the Kerala School Kalolsavam in Thiruvananthapuram, Amaljith plays the hero in a drama inspired by Takazhi’s iconic short story Vellapokkathil, woven with the haunting memories of the landslide that devastated his village just months ago.

Before tragedy struck, Amaljith’s sister Salna had told him about the beautiful bead-and-shell garlands sold at Shankumugham Beach, promising they could hang one at the entrance of their home someday. But that home was swallowed by the landslide. When the floodwaters surged, Amaljith and Salna sought refuge in one of their neighbour's houses, only to have its walls collapse upon them. They were trapped, buried in mud and debris.

Their father, Baiju, undertook a perilous search to save his children. Braving the treacherous terrain, he discovered them semi-conscious and ensnared in the mire. Risking his own life, Baiju managed to pull Amaljith out of the suffocating mud, inch by inch.