Insights

I am probably the most unusual child of a typical Oriya household, where the perception of a girl child is comparably better than several other narrow-minded and prejudiced Indian communities. Despite my rather passive and simple adolescent life, with most of my time dedicated to enriching my lingual skills and etymological knowledge, I also had my rebellious highpoints. Although not even half as eventful as the lives of the daughters of the silver screen, I had my share of heart breaks, misunderstandings, disagreements and conflicts of the heart and mind. Just like any other regular teenager, the quest of my destiny ruled my mind all through the formative years. Destiny here does not imply to any bequeathed fortune, but the answer sought in each and every class essay and school debate. But the only answer I could allege was a vague dream, a vague dream of dwelling in the Swiss Alps. There was no obvious quintessence for such a fantasy, considering that I was born on a different continent altogether.

I call myself unusual not because of the uniqueness of who I am, but the atypical way in which I was brought up. As a girl, several expectations were associated with me, but these lacked the highly prejudiced gender bias which dominates the minds of the elderly community. I was provided every opportunity to excel on any path I chose. I was allowed to develop my perception of the world around me without any parental impositions. Nonetheless I still could not pave a path that would lead me to my dream. At this moment of utter confusion and ambivalence, moonlight dazzled upon a clandestine path. Close perusal of the history of mankind reveals not too many (especially those belonging to my sex) tread this path. But endless efforts of my father and his inclination for giving me the best landed me at a place where I learnt life. Although this place was 5000 miles away from home, I never felt ‘away from home’. I established some perpetual alliances which have and will stand high despite the turbulences of time.

For all that I have gained so far, I am eternally grateful to my parents for their constant support in all my choices and endeavours. They have not only stood by me but also been a part of all my aspirations. Although not a parent yet, I have learnt the most important lesson of parenting from my parents. So as it is said, “Learn the art from the masters themselves”. But that is not the end of the story. Far away from my perfect world, there are people scrutinizing my choices and those of my parents. Each time when the sun shines bright and I head east, there are a thousand minds which are aroused by the thoughts of why I had to ‘cross the seven sees’ for education. Some behold me as success personified, while others sceptically try to read between the lines and figure out the real incentive behind the path trodden. At times, my parents faced accusations of overlooking their responsibilities and shoving me out of the way. There are some who gaze at me through eyes shining with marvel and at the same time there are others who consider that I conveniently abused the partly-existent financial privileges.

Moving on, I am appeased with the choices made and given an opportunity, I shall leave no stone unturned to outshine my destiny. As for my dream, here I am, just a couple of miles away from my envisaged destination.