If I could go back in time and relive one moment, without a doubt, I would choose the day 25 years ago when I gave birth to Sachit,” Andheri-based mum Saanika Matreja admits. Ten days after he was born, she learnt that he had Down Syndrome (DS). “I slumped on the couch. My world had just imploded. Sachit had been unwell just after he was born. What did I do wrong?” Her husband Rajesh stepped in to make her see the bright side. “In just over a week, I was convinced that this was a blessing and promised myself to love Sachit unconditionally,” 54-year-old Saanika says.

Sachit is anything but ordinary. The 25-year-old works part-time at a grocery store near his Shastri Nagar home. Back home, he helps Saanika in the kitchen. He even runs a little business of handmade craft items that he sells online. “He is independent and handles everything from taking orders to seeing they are delivered in time to his clients. He is a grateful boy. Every time he arranges a get together for friends and family, he delivers a thank you speech. If any of us are sick at home, he is the most caring,” Saanika smiles. Sachit’s younger brother Krish, 23, runs a newly-launched startup called Eatabl. The brothers share an unbreakable bond. “Growing up, they played together and had common friends too. I couldn’t have asked for better children.”