'Everything will be fine'; Hajira, a senior civil police officer in Kozhikode, could have easily said this and ended the conversation when Indira, a 62-year-old part-time sweeper, shared her dream of living in her own house. She even had her reasons. Along with her husband, a security guard, Hajira scraped her savings to make a 690 sq ft house out of an unfinished structure they had bought three years ago. The road to her house is narrow, just wide enough for a two-wheeler; but there was something about Indira she couldn't ignore. Whenever the staff greet her, Indira smiles at them; a weak, tired smile. Hajira, who had long wanted to move out of police quarters, finally managed to build one, and she could understand how badly Indira wished for a home.

Hajira found a land near her house. The access was not narrow like the one to her house; a truck could easily pass through the road. She was happy, but there was nothing much left with her. Hajira raised the amount through two chit funds from the Kozhikode City Police Employees’ Co-operative Society, where she serves as vice president. She purchased four cents of land worth Rs 5.13 lakh near her new house in Pulikkal, Malappuram. The land was registered in Indira’s name on February 18.

"I noticed that Indira chechi always looked gloomy, though she would smile at us. She has been working here for four years. Although we used to talk and I was aware of her financial struggles, I never knew she had been living in rented houses for years. I couldn’t stop thinking about her situation," said Hajira, who works at the Office of the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Feroke.

Indira, a widow and mother of two, was forced to sell her house years ago due to financial troubles. Since then, they had been living in rented houses, and for the past 15 years, they had been residing in a house near the Taluk Hospital in Feroke. "Her husband passed away two years ago. We visited the house then but never knew it was rented. Her relatives sometimes supported them, but none could help them get a home of their own. Her siblings are also old and struggling," says Hajira.

Indira's life had got tougher in recent years and her dream of owning a house seemed distant. Her elder son,a welder, is unable to work after a road accident. Her younger daughter, a degree student, is on treatment for tuberculosis.

Hajira now plans to build a house for Indira on the land she bought. “Right now, I can’t afford to construct the house. A few people have shown interest in helping, but nothing is final yet,” she says, however, the cop remains hopeful. She and her husband, Jamal Abdul Arsal, plan to reach out to their former batchmates from Farook College for support, especially to help dig a well on the property. With 16 years of service in the Kerala Police, starting at Kasaba station and now serving at Feroke since 2021, Hajira is known for her dedication. But her compassion has truly touched the hearts of her colleagues and superiors.

“I may not have everything, but I believe in sharing what I can. I hope we can soon build a home for Indira chechi—a place she can finally call her own,” Hajira says with a smile.