My #RebirthStory for Women at Kshamata

Dear Survivors at Kshamata,

My story isn’t fascinating at all, it would never make the front page of a paper nor would it ever be a coffee break talk. My story is nothing at all and yet it is very close to my heart for it has shaped me to who I am now.

You would have heard many one dimensional stories where someone went from rags to riches but life has been a circle for me where I went from riches to rags and then back from rags to riches.

My father was an acute business man whose one touch could turn iron to gold and my two sisters and I were his dearest princesses where our wish was indeed his command. Everything was given to us much before we could wish and never did we say goodnight with an unfulfilled wish. We were happy and pampered children. Life was perfect in those good old days.

One fine day fate played its role and wrecked our perfect life and three little girls who never flinched to wish for a thing were scared to wish for anything.

For wishing might not have meant sleeping without it being met but wishing would have meant our father goings miles and miles to ensure that it is met and at a cost that was simply unacceptable to us. Things went bad and as bad as it could possible go and there were times when my mother did not know what the next meal would be and whether or not my father could manage the next school fees. During those trying times my mentor walked into our lives and that was the turning point of our lives. For the first time in long time did we have reason to smile and reason to believe that happiness is ours to claim and one could be happy even if there seems no way.

I learnt that world can do a lot to me, they can tell me what to do, what to think but no one can tell me what to feel. Feelings are mine to have and because of it I am truly independent. That was my first step towards happiness. So while the world expected the poor princesses (my sisters and I) to be miserable for they couldn’t have their unicorn the poor princess decided to be happy for they were free of burden and responsibility of raising a unicorn.

I also learnt that money can buy a lot of things but it cant buy true love and many a times you don’t find true love because of the illusions of money, when you are rich a lot of people claim to love you but only when you are reduced to a pauper you come to know who really loves you. So while the world expected the poor princesses to be miserable for they dint have many friends the poor princess found happiness and love in each other that they dint require any friends.

I further learnt that there is no substitute for hard work not because hard work always leads to success but because hard work gives you the satisfaction of trying.

A true warrior goes to a battle hoping for a victory but would happily die with a smile in hands of an enemy for he tried to make a difference. So while the world expected the poor princesses to be miserable while they toiled hard to earn their bread the poor princess found it thrilling to earn their bread.

I also learnt I am only limited by the limitations I set upon myself and if he can do it then so can I, and I can so can everyone. If Mary Kom thought that she couldn’t fight because she was a woman then she wouldn’t have been the woman we know today. Her past, her present dint determine her future then why should mine? So while the world expected the poor princess to remain poor and be miserable at it the poor princesses grew up to become strong and fiercely independent queens for they had conquered their fears and had risen above sadness and misery. They dint let their past decide their future.

Today I have many people who look up to me and would want to be me and they often ask me what makes me me ? and I simple reply while it might appear that I am self-made person in reality I am not. I am a god made person and the reason I am what I am is because I had faith and faith alone can move mountains. Money can break them down, Strength can conquer them but only only faith can move them.

So my final message is: have faith.

I got to know about Kshamata’s #RebirthStory collection in 2018 from a friend and wanted to be a part of this awesome initiative. I hope my story will inspire the women at Kshamata to have faith and to live the life to the fullest.

Want to help too? If you’ve been through something drastic and have managed to get back to a happy life, share your #RebirthStory with Kshamata women and join their ‘In Me, I Believe’ model. While they help survivors believe in themselves, we can help survivors believe in a better tomorrow.

or share it on Social Media: Kshamata’s Facebook, Twitter.

Or as a mail: team@kshamata.org