It started out as a normal sunny afternoon in Ranpur, Madhya Pradesh. Kids were laughing, running around outside the Anganwadi, completely oblivious to what was about to happen. Then suddenly, a huge swarm of bees appeared from nowhere, buzzing furiously, circling the children like a dark, angry cloud. Panic broke out. Screams pierced the air. Little feet scattered in every direction. And right there, in the middle of all that chaos, one woman didn’t freeze, she ran straight toward it.
Kanchan Bai Meghwal, the Anganwadi cook and leader of the Jai Mata Di self-help group, didn’t think twice. She grabbed mats, blankets, anything she could use, and started wrapping the kids one by one, hustling them safely inside the building. She put herself between the swarm and the children, like a human shield, no questions asked.
