ACROSS BORDERS, BACK TO HOME

A Tale of Sacrifice and Belonging.

- Prity Kour

The golden rays of the morning light brushed the lush green meadows of the Punjab. Arjun sat on the stairs of his small but sturdy house, watching his father painstakingly plough the field. It wasn't the sight of hard work that bothered him, but the thought of being chained to a life of constant toil. Stories of a better life in Canada replayed in his mind—tales told by friends who had already left or were planning to leave soon.

Arjun came from a middle-class farming family, and life on the farm was far from easy. His father had always hoped to pass down the family land to him, but Arjun had other dreams. He longed for a life of comfort and success—one where he could provide for his parents and younger sister without watching them exhaust themselves every day.

“I want to go to Canada,” Arjun announced one evening at dinner. His parents exchanged worried looks.

“Beta, we can’t afford it,” his mother said softly. His father nodded in agreement. “Our land is all we have. What will we do if we sell it?”