Queen in the Making
An ambitious firefly, all set to take the flight of her dreams, is made to rest by reflecting the light of the false sun. A woman’s life is also as predictable as this. As we prepare to spread the wings of our dreams, various limitations are set upon us, either by our parents or by the people we relate with after getting married.
I, too, sidelined my dreams to first “secure” my future by studying medicine and then getting myself a decent job. Soon thereafter, my cultural limitations set my status as married—thankfully, to an amazingly understanding and caring man. We were soon gifted with the most precious boon to our lives, and my first baby was born.
Twenty days after his birth, I suffered from my first panic attack, due to the hormonal imbalance caused by a 13-centimeter fibroid in my uterine cavity. I was absolutely shaken, both physically and mentally, as I faced the rage and agony. I cried bitterly, shouted with erratic movements—my body in a hollow state of disturbed psychology. As the time passed, the panic attacks grew worse and their frequency increased—so much so that I attempted suicide several times, forgetting about my motherhood responsibilities. I still carried the hidden guilt of ruining the “could have been” beautiful moments with my child.
After almost three months of this distress, I saw my child smiling at me for the first time, and chills ran down my spine. I could almost hear him say, “Maa, you are my hero, my mentor, my guide, my friend. You are my first love, and love isn’t weak. You can’t be weak, maa—you have to help yourself to help me stand upright in this world.”
I promised myself then and there to be proactive and to reach out to every help possible around me. I began to read and shifted my focus entirely from entertainment to education. I completely mended my lifestyle and brought discipline, grit, and determination into my every behavior. Beginning from developing a golden hour in the morning to following positive techniques and strategies, I began to realize my lost ambitions and passions.
This was the time when my own dreams came to my rescue. I decide to enter the pageantry scene and began redefining my outlook toward life through the lens of my dream. Soon, I won the national title of Mrs. India Worldwide 2014 (1st runner-up). It came as a huge boost to my spirits. I reduced my weight to 58 kgs from 95 kgs, restructuring my confidence, my character, and personality. I was a witness to my own personal victory, which was also now public.
My belief in my dreams also exposed me to international television when I appeared on the sets of the renowned show KBC with Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan. Thereafter, there was no looking back—and I won several national and international titles. I was also declared the first married Indian woman to win a Femina title: Femina Officially Gorgeous 2016.
Over time, I realized that I wanted to help other women grow out of their niche to achieve the greatest and most desirable results. I founded the concept of Productive Pageantry, a beautiful amalgamation of pageantry principles with life-perfecting fundamentals. I have already coached thousands of women worldwide, especially married women and mothers, under my initiative, “Queen in the Making,” where I strongly propagate the idea that there lies a queen inside each woman, regardless of her age, skin color, community, body stats, etc. My students range from rural women to professionals from all spheres. My latest success story was to train and empower acid-attack survivors and to conduct a first in the history of pageantry: a pageant for acid-burn victims.
I seek to empower women all over the world using my module of Productive Pageantry, which has been specially designed and keenly crafted for Gen Y women creating a wave of evolutionary womanhood. I am now a mother to two sons with a large family to look after, but I feel happy to practice and preach living a life of value and service to attain wonderful in your personal and professional endeavors.
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