Dedicated to my Brother and to all those beautiful souls like him.
By Aradhika Dutta, Class – 12th.
My brother’s world is without sight and speech. Most people do not understand what it’s like to have a brother like mine. They always tilt their head with eyes full of pity and voices careful to ask me, “How do you talk to him?” or “Isn’t it difficult?”
My brother, Arijit, is autistic, visually impaired and nonverbal. But he is an extraordinary person, different from everyone else. The thing that people don’t realize is that he does not need his eyes to see the world like ordinary people do. He doesn’t need to speak words to communicate. The only way by which he experiences the world is by feeling it.
Our world is built on touch, sound, trust and patience. Though he can’t speak, he can communicate in other ways. When he’s happy, he laughs and flaps his hands which is his own way of smiling, when he’s sad, he sits there without making any noise. After spending so many years with him, I have learned how to read him like a book.
He finds joy in the simplest ways like when he runs his hands through running water or when he finally gets under his blanket at night. He loves to shake hands with people and also give them a high-five.
Music is his best friend. He experiences the rhythm through the vibrations that pulse around him. We have the radio on all day. When he grows restless, music soothes him instantly, wrapping him in its own rhythm.
I won’t lie – there are days that are tough. When he feels overwhelmed – when the world around him becomes too loud, too fast, too unpredictable – he cries, and calming him becomes a challenge. I wish that I could ask him, “What’s wrong?” or “Do you need something?” but words aren’t a part of our world.
Aradhika and her Brother Arijit
Sometimes I get frustrated, not at him but at the world. In public, the way people stare at him and the way they whisper assuming that he can’t hear, that he can’t understand, is really annoying. But he does understand. He just doesn’t react the way people expect him to. I have learned that my job isn’t to change him, it’s to make sure that the world sees him for who he really is.
Arijit has taught me more about love than anyone else. Love isn’t always about the things we say but it is about the moments we share. It is in the way he looks for my hand, to hold it, when we go for a walk. It is in the way he feels safe in my presence. It is in the way he becomes excited when he hears my voice when I come back home from school. He may not say “I love you”. He may not see me the way I see him. But I know, without a doubt, that he feels it.
And in our world, that is enough.
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Editor’s note :
We are profoundly grateful to Aradhika for sharing this deeply touching story of her brother — reminding us again of the often unseen beauty that surrounds us and the power of love, empathy, and human connection.
On this World Autism Awareness Day it is also a reminder to celebrate neurodiversity, embrace inclusion, and recognize the unique strengths of each individual. It’s a day to spread awareness, foster understanding, care, share and love – to create a world where everyone is seen, valued, and empowered to thrive. 💙
