THE YOUNG FIGHTER
Pari was counting days until her father came home for holidays when the news of his martyrdom struck the family. He sacrificed himself for the nation while on duty in Assam. She was only 12 at the time and the loss of her father seemed like a bad nightmare. The shock caused her to stop eating that in turn deteriorated her health and studies.
“At one point she started having delusions about her father. We had to put her on medication”, her mother informs us with pain. “What added to the pain was that my husband’s family deserted us after the tragedy and made life harrowing for us”,she further tells. They had to shift to Pari’s mother’s house where they continue to live.
It is only in 2017 that she began to swim out of her depression. She is now stable and is working hard to achieve her goals. And right now her goal is to do well in her 10th board exam slated for next year.
“She is very committed to her studies and is a hardworking girl”, her mother tells us, while Pari sits next to her fiddling with her pigtails; a little shy. We turn our attention to the 14-year old and ask her about her dreams.
“My dream is to become an IAS officer, my father also nurtured the same dream for me“, she replies with a soft smile. She tells us that her father always said, “Meranaamroshankarna” (do me proud), and that is exactly what her goal in life is.
She likes going to school and is an active participant in extracurricular activities. Maths is her favourite subject but is a little weak in Social Sciences as the teacher is not very regular and she cannot clarify her doubts.
Being the eldest child of the family she also has the responsibility of being the torchbearer for her sister. “If I do well at school she will also follow my footsteps”, Pari says reasonably. She helps her sister with studies and acts as her mentor.
About her father she mentions how much she misses hearing his voice. “He always encouraged me to study well. Whenever I got good marks I would call him and give him the news,” she says, with tearful eyes. “But I feel that he is always with me”, she concludes with a proud smile.
Pari may only be 14 but she is working hard to make her parents proud of her. She understands the sacrifices her father made for them, and the hardships her mother is undergoing for her education. The young fighter is determined to make it all worth it. Atta girl!
