A community historically found in Gujarat and Maharashtra, the Kolis have their pasts tied to the water. Once fishermen and later agriculturalists, they were known for their connection to rivers, seas, and the fish that fed them.

As I reluctantly took my leave, her frail hands squeezed mine one last time. I walked away with a heart so heavy it felt like it could crush atoms.

With their belongings fastened atop cattle and camels, Raika families journey from their base. But like many other nomadic communities in the Indian subcontinent, the Raikas are facing what can only be called a slow, long-drawn erasure.