“I was born in the rich cultural town of Tanjore but raised in the bustling streets of Chennai. Life for me has never been a straight road; it’s been a series of uphill battles, but each one has only made me stronger.

My parents separated when I was just a child. I stayed with my father in Chennai, while my brother lived with my mother. Things at home were far from perfect. My father remarried, and I often felt like I didn’t belong. After 10th grade, my education was abruptly cut short, and at 19, I was married off.

Within a year, I had a baby girl, and my world changed. Support from all sides stopped, and I was left to fend for myself, especially emotionally. My husband, unfortunately, wasn’t the pillar I had hoped for, neither emotionally nor financially. When my daughter turned one and a half, I started working. Juggling a job, motherhood, and household duties was exhausting, but I had no other choice.

When my daughter turned seven, I made one of the hardest decisions of my life, I separated from my husband. It wasn’t just about me anymore. I had a little girl who deserved better. I wanted to show her that strength isn’t about enduring, it’s about choosing yourself.

I went back to studying through correspondence. At 21, I started my BBA, and later, my MBA. Those years were financially draining. I took loans, worked multiple jobs, and sometimes barely scraped by. But giving my daughter the best was always my driving force. And there is this one friend of mine, who traveled with me throughout my journey, with no second thoughts.

In 2019, I finally achieved something I had dreamed of for years. I bought a house of my own. That house wasn’t just brick and mortar; it was a symbol of every sacrifice, every sleepless night, and every ounce of determination I had poured into my life.

Today, my daughter is 23 and heading to Dubai for her higher studies. Watching her pack her dreams into a suitcase fills me with pride I can’t put into words.

You may stumble, fall, and even feel like giving up, but if you keep moving forward, you’ll build a life you can be proud of. My story isn’t just mine, it’s for every woman who refuses to stop fighting.”