Chandigarh:Legendary Jamaican Singer Bob Marley once said-"You never know how strong you are until being strong is your only choice."
Narayani, Prinicipal, Orchids-The International School, Mahalaxmi Layout is one such individual who refused to surrender to life's obstacles and decided to take the challenges on her chin.
Narayani got married at 17 and believed that like any other teenager, she thought she has got her happily ever after. But she was yet to face the real world. Her life took a terrible turn when her husband got diagnosed with tuberculosis and was bedridden till he was alive. Despite being in an abusive relationship, Narayani decided to hold on to it and take care of her husband for the sake of her daughter.
In her words, "One morning, I woke up and suddenly my mind was at peace. It seemed like I conquered my inner demons and finally, I'm at peace. A few years back, I saw myself in the mirror and the woman I saw there, it felt like I didn't even know her anymore. All I saw was a soul struggling to survive with a bedridden husband who once I believed was a prince to her tiny kingdom."
She started giving tuition to fund his medical expenses and as his disease is highly contagious, everyone she knew was keeping their distance from us. She and her daughter too were taking medicines for 9 months as she was taking care of him. During those tough times, her mother-in-law supported them beyond their
expectations. After prolonged illness, her husband breathed his last and left for his heavenly abode despite Narayani's best efforts. After his demise, their lives started taking a positive turn slowly. She earned a lot of respect from her colleagues, relatives, and neighbours as they realised her struggles and hardship. She lost her husband when she was 28 years old. She completely immersed herself in work as she was the only bread earner of the family and she was determined to give her child everything she desired.
She continued her education which took a backseat because of her early marriage. She completed UG, PG, and then B.Ed.
She adds, "My husband was my true love. Despite the abuse I had to go through during my marriage, his death created a big void in my heart as well as my life. I was depressed and had to go through therapy to come out of it. I could overcome every obstacle because of my daughter. Just one glance at her gave me all the strength I needed to face any problem. Being a single mother, I raised my daughter and Iam proud to see her growth. She is currently working as skill development and placement trainer in Dr Reddy’s foundation"
She also worked for the International school awards and completed the project with accreditation and was awarded "The outstanding teacher award" by the British Council Connecting Classrooms project.
Message for readers:
Never Give Up, you have all the potential in you. Bring it out. Follow your passion, and success will follow you! Go with the flow. Be kind, stay courageous.
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