I have always been drawn to stories of survival – watching, listening, and reading about the journeys people conquer and the ways they evolve.
Recently I watched Ranveer Allahbadia’s podcast featuring Mrunal Thakur, well, I usually watch all his podcasts like one of my to do’s every week, the way he delivers it, his questionnaire and his utmost curiosity of knowing everything is just awesome!
In this podcast when she throws the light on her journey, I love what she mentioned: ‘मुझे बस कि टिकट निकाल ने कि acting नही करनी पड़ती क्यूंकि मैंने वो real life में किया है’! (I don’t have to act out buying a bus ticket, because I’ve done it in real life). Wow, what a journey Mrunal!
I never knew that she is from district ‘Dhule’ which was never mentioned anywhere till now and all of sudden when we heard it from such an amazing actress, a lady who has embarked her career, her name and fame, it feels amazing! My daughter asks me, why do you always watch such podcasts, what do you gain out of it? this is my answer to her.- Happiness of learning through others life.
In one of my articles ‘Crossing The Barriers’ I have mentioned about, being a small town girl, how do we struggle coming out of middle class mentality of ‘चुला-चौकी ‘ or in marathi we call ‘चूल आणि मुल’ and choose our own path, choices, n-number of struggles and yet we choose not to give up is something so cherishing, literally like a cherry on the cake!
When I first arrived in Pune, I didn’t even have a roof over my head. I am forever grateful to the friends who accommodated me in a tiny room that leaked every time it rained. My parents were not very happy with my decision, they couldn’t understand why, despite living like a princess in a bungalow back home, I had chosen this struggle. But I was happy. I felt a frivolous, beautiful freedom to start my life exactly the way I wanted, not the way anybody else wanted for me.
My child often asks me, “Mamma, how many flights have you been on?” Before I give her a number, I tell her this:
When I came in Pune, which is now her birthplace, everyday I was travelling by ‘six seater’ and a public transport- Bus, like every other struggler does before even landing into a job. While doing this I use to ensure that I will take a walk at-least half or one kilometre from the place where I wanted to reach, meaning I used to get down 1 km before my stop. Which will also save few pennies. While doing this, one and the only thing I dreamed of is getting into Corporate Life, which was in 2005-6, 20 years ago, used to be a big dream for small town girl like me, where opportunities were seldomly land through new papers or magazines.
Years later, after successfully landing into Visteon Engineering (then sister company of Ford Motors) I got my first onsite assignment to UK. I was tremendously happy and excited that I was going to fly to one of the world’s glamorous cities. But then, was it an easy piece of cake? Certainly not!
My Mom was hospitalised due to heart attack. My senior asked me when would I be able to fly . I didn’t have an answer, but I told him once my mother is back, I am definitely ready to fly anywhere. But she never came back!
However, in her passing, she ensured I would spread my wings that she allowed me to let go of the “bad patch” and move toward the light. I caught my first flight to London with her memory in my heart, and I haven’t looked back since. I have now flown nearly 17 times for work and studies.
Were all these pieces of Cake easy for me? No, those weren’t! In-fact during my studies I was not just into academics, I was into restaurant as a kitchen hand, I was an Educator in Early School, I was selling my assignments especially to those who couldn’t have gotten into University, kept working hard for their survival. I am glad that I could help them in their studies and still could achieve my goal of completing my degree. I sometimes feel I have definitely received their blessings whoever I could help.
Now, when I look back and see all my journey of past 20 years it feels like dreams come true with hell or heaven lot of efforts, dedication, determination whatever we call it, this is kind of flights for me alone that I had taken and keeping alive the promise I once saw in my mother’s eyes.
When I ask my child about her passion, she hasn’t found it just yet. But I believe that if we stay mindful of what our children learn from our lives, we provide the ignition for their own journeys. Our job is to be there—holding their hands, balancing their moves, and pointing them toward the right path, perhaps that is the essence of perfect parenting.
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