By Bhargavvi Atul Bajpai
It was being a warm evening of November 12th when Naina Sharma a 23-year-old woman is launching her first book at Noida. She was accompanied by her parents Raj and Nalini and her mentors Mr. Roy, Mr. Sharma and Mr. Iyer. Roy is media mogul while Sharma and Iyer are his close colleagues and friends. The event started with Naina walking towards the podium
Naina started “Good evening everyone. I am Naina Sharma, daughter of Raj and Nalini Sharma. A young journalist working under the mentorship of Mr. Roy, Mr. Sharma and Mr. Iyer. I am happy to present my first book ‘There’s always a light at the end of the tunnel’. I have reached here after a lot of efforts and hard-work. Today, I might be sounding as a confident and young woman, but little does anyone know that I wasn’t the same in 2013. I had my own issues as a teen and scoliosis added to my woes. But with my parents, and these three gentlemen in my life, I sailed through. My book talks about my own struggles and I aim to inspire everyone who feels down. I am here to tell my story”
Flashback 11-12 years ago:
It is May 2013. Naina a 12-year-old girl was walking in the sunny streets of Mumbai for her school. Her parents Raj and Nalini were a well to do couple in the city but their daughter and only one...Naina wasn’t a happy child. She was diagnosed with scoliosis and despite them being financially strong, they couldn’t ease her pain. She didn’t want to go to her school because everyone would bully her and mock her.
Naina exclaimed “Ma! I don’t want to go to school. Why don’t you understand?”
Nalini pleaded “Beta, listen. Your class is going to Mr. Roy’s newsroom. It will be fun and what if he meets her?
Naina says “Maa, but that Mini mocks her and insults her. She is an attention seeking girl. Everyone would focus on her”
Nalini says “Oh sweetie…but who knows? It might be the other way too. Don’t lose okay?”
Her parents drop her at the school where her class teacher Mrs. Rao was waiting for Naina. She made her sit in bus with other children and the bus headed to Mr. Roy’s newsroom for the tour. Mini was the star of the class and always topped in her class. As Mini looked at Naina, she made a mean comment at her.
Mini exclaimed “Ah! Look who is here. Oh young woman this newsroom tour isn’t for her”
Naina’s eyes sting with tears but she wipes it. Mrs. Rao who is her class-teacher saw her crying and called her to sit beside her. They reach newsroom and was greeted by Iyer and Sharma who are close colleagues of Roy. They took the students to newsroom and touring them it entirely just then Mr. Roy came in who is a tall and imposing figure. He shook hands with everyone. Mini introduced herself first and couldn’t help to be the centre of attention. However, Roy’s gaze went to Naina who was hiding behind her class teacher Mrs. Rao. He slowly kneels down and meets her.
Roy exclaims and asks warmly “Hey Kiddo? What is your name?”
Naina stutters and says “She is Naina Sharma…. she’s 12”
Roy shakes her hand warmly and said “Ah! Nice to meet you!”
Roy got up and announces that he is going to conduct a contest for everyone in the class. He says that everyone will write an essay and those who will win the contest will be mentored by him and his team. Everyone starts writing, Naina though nervous at the beginning started writing the essay. As Mrs. Rao collected the essays and gave to Roy, he started reading it. As he read, his eyes went on to Naina’s essay. She had poured her heart on her battle with scoliosis and how despite all the odds she wants to remain strong. Roy showed her essay to his colleagues Sharma and Iyer who were equally in awe of her essay.
Mrs. Rao gathered all the students in the hall as Roy was standing with the essay papers in his hands and he began.
“I have read everyone’s essays and let me say, every one of them has written so well. Everyone in this hall is so gifted. However, there’s essay of one girl which has caught his eye. She has been through something but her struggles come straight from the heart and her resilience is testament to her battles. I would like to read one of her lines from her essay”
Roy quotes from her essay “I might be bent and curved, but my spirit and strength is not broken. I shall rise like a phoenix.”
Roy says “With this, I shall announce the name of the winner of the contest and who will be mentored by me and my team. Her name is Naina”.
Naina eyes welled up with tears as she heard her name. With this she became closer to the trio as she was being treated like their own child. As years passed through, Naina was operated yet again but this time she passed through and was resilient.
Come to present:
Naina reading the last page of her book “This is my story. This is the light of my tunnel. My parents and these 3 gentlemen who are mentors who are the light of my tunnel. I hope everyone finds one. Stay strong and this shall too pass”
As she concluded, her parents Raj and Nalini, their three mentors applauded in happiness seeing the girl who was faced battles was emerging stronger.
By Bhargavvi Atul Bajpai
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