Posts tagged HerStory

All You Need is Love and Flowers

HerStory

Dr Aparna Govil Bhasker
 
There are good days and then there are the bad days. How much ever we wish for life to follow a logical course, every day the sun rises with new challenges. Some that can be tackled, some that are pushed under the carpet and some that may really bring us down. 
 
This morning was one such morning when I woke up not feeling at ease. Believe me, when we are not at ease, nothing around us is at ease. Small issues appear far bigger than they are and everything is just more challenging and convoluted than it usually is. While on usual days multi-tasking is a breeze, on days like this, there cannot be a bigger burden. Handling home, hospital, surgeries, patients and kids at the same time can drive one to the verge of insanity. However, like most of us, today I also did not have much choice but to just grit my teeth and somehow get through the day.
 
Lost in my own thoughts, as I entered home this evening, there it was…. A beautiful red flower kept on the table. I was greeted with a big hug by my five years old son. He gifted the flower to me, said “I love you mumma” and ran off to play. This has been our secret ritual for as long as I can remember. Every evening, he brings a flower for me and tells me that he loves me the most.
 
I guess, today this was just what I needed. It helped me to bring back the much needed perspective in my life. It reminded me that love is of utmost importance in our lives. Love makes us stronger to deal with everything else that life has in store for us. Life is not easy and all of us are struggling in some way or the other. What we need to remember is that while each of us is served with our share of problems, we are also given blessings in the form of people who love us. They are the ones who make life worth living for. They are the ones who make it worth fighting for. They are also the ones who make us realize that there is more positive in this world than negative can ever be.
 
On some days, we just have to look a bit harder.

AGE IS JUST A NUMBER

HerStory

By- Dr. Aparna Govil Bhasker

I am a Mumbai girl and nothing defines Mumbai better than its local trains. Over the last few months, I have gradually shifted to using local trains a lot more than my car, which to be honest is more of a burden than convenience, in this over crowded city. Trains are undoubtedly faster when one has to get to multiple hospitals in a single day. Deep down I also feel happy about indirectly reducing my overall carbon footprint and doing my bit for the future generation.

Local train journeys in Mumbai can be quite entertaining and I have come to enjoy them mostly. (Except for the times when one may get crushed to near death!) Very often there are small time vendors selling their goods to the passengers. On one such day, I observed an old lady who walked with the support of a stick. She was extremely frail and bent over. Her head kept shaking with the slightest of movement. She must be in her eighties nearing ninety for sure. As I saw her boarding the train, I thought of getting up and giving her my seat. However, I was in for a pleasant surprise. As she entered the train compartment, she stabilized herself on her stick and took out a dozen colourful bracelets from a worn out bag to sell to the passengers. Now, I am not very fond of jewellary but that day, I felt compelled to buy that bracelet. I paid ten rupees and kept it in my bag, knowing fully well that I will never wear it.

A few days later, I saw her again. Bent over her stick, with her head shaking all the time, there she was. Once again, I felt compelled to buy one of the bracelets. The third time this happened, I saw a glint of recognition in her eyes and a tiny hint of a smile. As she glanced at my empty wrists, none of us needed to say anything.

It has been 3 months since I saw her last. Every time I am in that train, my eyes look for her. I wonder if she is well, as I have no way of knowing her whereabouts.

However, the bracelet has found its permanent place as it lies in my bag. I am not superstitious but it is my lucky charm. A charm that reminds me that age is just a number and it is always possible to earn a respectable living till our last breath. Every time I open my bag, the shiny bracelet looks up at me and inspires me to go on, to work hard and to live life to its best potential. And one day, when I close my eyes forever, I will lie there peacefully knowing that I gave it my best, always.

#HerStory #inspiration #motivation #draparnagovilbhasker

THE GIRL IN THE HIJAB

HerStory
THE GIRL IN THE HIJAB

“THE GIRL IN THE HIJAB”

By- Dr. Aparna Govil Bhasker

It was midnight as I stepped out of Mumbai airport. I had had a busy week at work. This was a week that pulled me down in many ways. Certain incidents in the week kept me wondering about the lot of women in our country. How women not only fail to question certain norms, but feel compelled to conform to outdated traditional values even if it comes at a heavey price that they may have to pay.

It was midnight and I desperately wanted to get home at the earliest and get some rest. At the prepaid taxi counter I was informed that I will be getting a “woman driven cab”. As I stepped out to find the cab, I was pleasantly surprised to see this young girl in Jean’s and shirt and a hijab that covered her head. She greeted me with a warm smile and we started our journey together. “Mam, I am not very familiar with the roads of Mumbai, please do guide me”.

At 12.30 am in the night, I was being driven home by a girl in a hijab who was crazy about driving cars and was completely okay with driving around the city alone, in the dark hours of the night without a care. I asked her if her family was okay with her work and she just said that, it didn’t really matter… she just loved to drive.

Normally when I sit in a cab, first thing I do is to ask the cabby to switch off the music. But, yesterday, while I felt emotionally depleted, her energy was infectious and it changed something inside me. I needed a sign to tell me that all is not wrong with this world and there is a lot to be hopeful for. She loved Bollywood music. We kept the music on and chatted along the way. At the end of the journey, I told her that I was proud of her for being so brave and a million dollar smile lit up her face.

It lifted my spirits as I realized that women across the world are breaking barriers one step at a time. The journey is long and the destination very far, but it is heartening to meet such lovely women for whom breaking barriers comes naturally. They make us hope that all is not wrong with the world and it indeed is going to be a better place in future. May their tribe grow.

I guess inspiration is all around us, we just need to open our eyes and hearts to find it.

#HerStory #Priyadarshini #womendrivencabs #wethewomen #womenempowerment #motivation #inspiration #womenofindia