“My life has been nothing short of a long hurdle run where I had to cross each and every hurdle all on my own. It started with losing my father to an illness at a very tender age. Growing up, I had always been a sincere kid and I ensured that I always took my education seriously. One fine day, when I was returning from school my father’s friend picked me up and I was asked to stay at their place for a while – as my father was hospitalised and my mother needed to stay near him. Two weeks passed by and when I was finally brought home, they broke the awful news to me that my dad had passed away.

Losing him was so heartbreaking for me but my mother took on his role and went from a strict officer to being my best friend. Since I was in my 10th standard at that point in time, my mother concealed one of her major health ailments, pushing me to focus on my studies. It later came to be revealed to us that my mother had uterus cancer and within a matter of two years, I lost my mother too.

Since I was still a minor, a legally appointed guardian was allocated for me. She was a distant relative of my mother and they happily took me in as they didn’t have kids. However, within a very short period of time my life turned into the nightmare that I didn’t quite anticipate. I was given a room in their house where I had to stay for the whole day without any entertainment. They would give me good three times a day but that was it. I wasn’t given an opportunity to further my studies and verbal abuse to a greater extent ensued. I was put under so much pressure and it was quite hellish but god opened a door for me in the form of my grandmother.

I had a rare opportunity to connect with her through a call and they came to my rescue. As my 18th year was nearing, I was allowed to come out of the guardianship and make my own way. My distant relatives and my grandmother together, took me under their wing and helped me find my footing again. As my passion lay in interior designing, I started to apply for colleges and finally found a college in Bangalore. Giving our house out to rent and taking in dad’s pension, I was able to enrol for the course of my dreams and currently, I am pursuing my third year here. I am in the process of applying for an internship and once that comes through, I will be able to get into the job market real soon.

Having faced such extreme hardships from a very young age has in turn emboldened me. I now know that no matter what happens, I can face life fearlessly and fight my way through it. The only thing that I believe should be kept alive through it all is the hope – the hope that tomorrow it will dawn again and life will show us a miracle in the most unexpected of ways.”

#Life #Journey #Hardships #Strength #Hope #Motivation #Chennai