The next challenge was to leave my home and go for higher education. I knew that getting good grades will make it easier to convince parents and reduce the social pressure of not sending a girl to study outside. Hence I tried and landed with 95% and 93% in 10th and 12th standard. I gave NIFT through which I was selected into NIFT Bangalore in the first go (as my interest was in interior designing) and IIT Mains through which I got B.tech in DCRUST which is one of the best state universities of Haryana. Obviously I wanted to join NIFT but ‘Fashion Technology’ was hard to explain to my parents and even harder for them to explain to other family members and villagers because “ yeh fashion washion toh bade logo ke kaam hai”. Till that time only a handful of boys had B.tech degree from our village. Hence, the only option my parents gave me was to join B.tech, so despite all the opposition from my family members and support from my father, I became the first girl from my village who went for B.tech in Computer science.
The next stigma to break was “ Degree ho gayi ab shaadi karlo !”. I was placed in Fidelity international and as soon as the news broke in my village, my parents started receiving social pressure to get me married. I knew in my graduation days that I have to do something to prove them wrong but at the same time create an image they want their daughters to fit in. I knew if I went for job life it would end up in marriage. I fought really hard with my parents to allow me to go for post- graduation and what they agreed upon was a government exam I can prepare for because “ Government jobs jyada safe hoti hai ladkiyoon k liye” but little did they knew I wanted to go for private sector and prepared for CAT. Finally I got admission offer from IIM Rohtak and now this was such great opportunity that they can’t have denied. Again I became the first girl from my village to do an MBA (and that too from an IIM). As people started applauding me for cracking an IIM, fathers of small girls from my village came to my family for guidance on how to educate their daughters. That was the day I realized I have made some difference and I know there is still a long battle ahead because “ Ab job lag gayi toh shaadi kar lo” will come but little do they know that this girl from their village will go on a world tour from her savings. The next stigma to break.
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