There she stands tall today
Her head held high with pride
For she’s a woman of substance
Who subdued and overpowered her circumstances
To achieve her mission
She got swayed away by currents adverse
She was subjugated to provocations and opposition
But she confronted all in defiance
Her society, Almighty, her circumstances and her predicaments
And won to stand
Where she is.
Her faults were many, the first one being born as girl child that too, to parents poor and conservative and affected at birth with the rarest of rare, Fragile Bone disorder. Aradhana was born in a lower middle class family Rajasthani family. Her medical condition forced her numerous visits to hospitals. Moreover her society didn’t entitle Aradhana to her basic right to education.
During early years she studied in an institution for physically handicapped, till standard five, and then in a Government run school till standard eighth, that too because the education was free and she would get midday meals there.
Her parents abused and assaulted her when she expressed her desire to study further but she wanted to fly high in the sky and refused to kneel down. She refused to agree to the terms laid down by her destiny, to the conditions laid down by her society.
Aradhana was disowned and thrown out of the house at a tender age for no fault of hers and had to take refuge in a slum. Her parents severed ties with her. Her intentions were questioned by those who should have backed her in her journey.
She didn’t have a morsel to eat but had made up her mind to challenge her predicaments. The only assets she had were determination and grit to survive.
She secured admission in one of the prestigious schools in Delhi but her life was difficult, attending school, taking tuitions to earn a living and managing all by herself. A charitable organization financed her studies till class tenth. When girls of age were playing around, she was responsibly tutoring kids and burning the midnight oil to excel in studies and living all by herself, her perseverance backing her endeavours helped her to continue her studies through scholarships.
Considering safety issues, a lady who lived nearby offered her help by letting her daughter sleep with her at night and in return Aradhana tutored her for free. A charitable organization financed her studies till class tenth. Her class twelfth results were exceptional and she secured admission in a prestigious college in Delhi, where she took part in various debates and events. She managed her studies with the prize money she earned by winning these competitions. School, then college, everywhere she excelled.
Nobody could believe that a girl living in a Jhuggi cluster all by herself could do so well.
She enrolled herself for higher education, managing her studies and other expenses by the stipend amount that she got while doing her post graduate and P.hd. degrees. Moreover living all by self had it’s own set of problems. As she shares and I quote “it was a traumatic experience”, to exist in those conditions. No friends, no relatives, this journey called life that a normal person cannot even think of, she not only confidently embarked upon that but also successfully achieved her mission.
She has undergone sixteen major and minor surgeries due to her medical condition but doesn’t ever let this condition refrain her from working hard. During her graduation she met with a minor accident which resulted in her being confined to wheel chair for about a year but that didn’t dampen her spirits.
The following year she cracked the Junior Research Fellowship exam and started earning a handsome amount as stipend with which she could easily continue her further education in The School of International Studies.
Now that she was comparatively stable, she started to prepare herself to face the biggest challenge of her life. Cracking one of the toughest exams to secure herself the tag of a civil servant became her mission.
She knew it wasn’t easy, she knew she would have to strive to thrive but there was no stopping. Despite her physical disabilities, her luck favoured her and she emerged out, A Winner. She proved herself to the world. Today Aradhana is serving the country with pride.
She has no grudge with anyone or even with her life for that matter. She believes in positivity and moving forward.
In today’s world where students keep complaining about hardships and limitations, Aradhana is a symbol of diligence, dedication, persistant determination and endurance.
She truly is an inspiration for millions to follow.