Life doesn’t necessarily happen to us the way we want it to because sometimes, it has its own plans for us. Just like this woman who was married off at a young age to a man much older than her and didn’t really understand the idea of matrimony.
Everyone thought it was a great match. I felt prepared for marriage, but I was too young to understand it.
We hit it off & it was good, initially. But we were different. He was 9 years older to me & was from a village—but we’d try to find a middle ground.
Soon, she gave birth to a boy and found her happy place. But the good times didn’t last for too long and her son was diagnosed with Autism.
When he was 2, unlike other kids his age, he couldn’t talk. He’d be stuck to me & lacked in development. So we went to a doctor & realised that he was Autistic.
Not knowing how to cope with it, her marriage hit rock bottom and she parted ways with her husband. Not wanting her son to grow up in a household full of fights and misery, she moved out with him while staying on good terms with her husband.
In between the struggles of being a single mom to a child with special needs and handling the aftermath of her divorce, she forgot to take care of her own self. After gaining 25 kg, she decided that it was time for her to do something and not give up on life.
So I joined a gym—& over there, I could just…be. Once, when the gym was shut, I decided to run instead. That was the best decision of my life. When I ran, there was no negative energy & I could finally breathe.
Indeed she found herself and eventually ran the Mumbai Marathon.
For 4 months, I ran everyday. I had no training, but when I heard about the Mumbai Marathon, I shed my inhibitions & took part! I even won—it was amazing!
No longer feeling the need to look back, her life has completely transformed for the better. She has run 95 half marathons, trains other people and has a fair amount of medals.
Looking at her son being proud of her makes up for every hardship she has faced and she’s finally making her own mark in the world.
