Face to Face by Ved Mehta: Autobiography of an extraordinary man who allowed neither blindness nor lack of means to stand in the way

Just finished reading "Face to Face", the first book by Ved Mehta that incidentally is also the first of his autobiography published by Penguin in 1957, when the author was just 23!

Ved lost his eyesight following cerebral meningitis when he was just short of his fourth birthday. Having absolutely no recollection of sight, he adapts himself to a world where he would work a little extra hard to live like any of his siblings, participating in all their activities.

So what if it involves kite-flying on the rooftops in pre-partition Lahore, or jumping from rooftop to rooftop. He also learns to cycle all by himself in the spacious grounds of the government quarters in Rawalpindi, where his father was posted as Director, Health Services, the first Indian to hold the post in the years leading to Independence. He even follows his elder sisters, without their knowledge, all the two kilometres to their school.

And all this after being sent to a small institute for the blind in Dadar, Bombay when he was just five years old, staying in the dormitory, along with the other boys, most of them bigger than him, falling sick and spending time in the hospital with no one but nurses to look after him. 

Then back in east Punjab, a happy childhood spent in Mehta gullie, Lahore, surrounded by friends and relatives, then Rawalpindi and back to Lahore, to the family's newly-built three-storied house, furnished well with carpets and tapestries, books and musical instruments for Ved.

At that time, the author says, there were hardly any opportunities in India for a blind person to advance in life, except in music and to a lesser extent, teaching. In the absence of good educational institutions willing to take in a visually challenged pupil, Ved is forced to spend seven years at home.

But never a dull moment. He gets friendly with the servants, finds out about their life bordering on poverty and helps them whenever he could. He types out letters to various institutes in the United States. The replies are hardly encouraging, each one saying he was too young and would become a cultural misfit after getting education abroad.

Then, the family has to undergo the trauma of partition and escape, leaving behind all their possessions back in Lahore. Finally, he gets a letter from the Arkansas college for the blind. Throughout, his father is rock solid behind him in raising money to fulfil his dreams, 

He doesn't mind sitting with junior classes to learn the basics of mathematics, physics and other subjects and then goes on to Pomona College in Claremont, California for his BA. During the journey, he meets so many who help him.

The stream of positivity that he is able to impart to his life and circumstances is incredible. At no point does he sit and mope about his fate but works extra hard without much fuss. Even while thinking of returning to India, he finds that it would be very difficult to lead an independent life in the home country. 

On the whole, this is one book I wish I had read in my 20s. (photo courtesy: McGill University) 

The book, published by Penguin is priced at 339 (paperback) and Rs 294 (Kindle).