Listen to the stories behind the journey.
Music, memory and leaving home. Four chapters of Kiran’s personal story, in his own voice.
Read Kiran’s full story →Kiran Rasaily recalls how precious his first new guitar was to him. He kept it away from school because he wanted to protect it. In his account, music was a passion he held onto even when people around him did not see it as a path to a future.
In this chapter, Kiran looks back on a world with few routes into creative work. Radios and cassette players brought distant songs into everyday life, opening a window beyond the opportunities available nearby.
Kiran’s account describes continuing school after Class 8 around 1990, then seeing his education disrupted by fear and unrest. He recounts being taken for questioning as a student and the closure of schools, leaving his plans for the future uncertain.
Kiran recalls leaving the family home as it stood, believing they might return soon. The familiar belongings left behind included a treasured Toshiba cassette player. His account describes the loss of the family pharmacy’s income, hunger, and three months of shelter with relatives in Assam.