I wasn’t born into privilege. I wasn’t handed an easy path. But what I did have was resilience—the kind that refuses to back down, the kind that fights for a better tomorrow.

Growing up, I saw the world through the lens of struggle. I saw how life could be unfair, especially for those who didn’t have a voice. Maybe that’s why I always knew I wanted to do something bigger than myself—something that mattered.

In 2014, when I first stepped into a hospital to work with palliative cancer patients, I felt the weight of human suffering. Holding the hands of those in their final days, I realized that real impact wasn’t in grand speeches—it was in small acts of kindness, in being there when no one else was. That experience changed me forever.

From there, my journey took me to Bihar’s villages, where I worked with farmers, trying to understand their daily battles. I walked through fields, sat in their homes, listened to their stories. I learned that real change doesn’t come from policies alone—it comes from people, from trust, from persistence.

But my biggest challenge—and my biggest lesson—came when I decided to step away from the comfort of a stable job and immerse myself in grassroots work. In 2021, as an SBI Youth for India Fellow, I found myself in a small village in Rajasthan, working to build toilets for communities that had never had one. It wasn’t just about sanitation, it was about dignity. It was about those young girls who wouldn’t have to drop out of school because they had nowhere safe to go. It was about women reclaiming their space.

That journey taught me that real impact is messy, slow, and full of obstacles. But every small victory—a toilet built, a life changed—was worth the struggle.

Today, I work with the Medanta Foundation, ensuring healthcare reaches those who need it the most. Beyond my professional work, I’ve joined Pedal4Planet, an initiative focused on cleaning the Ganga. Every weekend, I stand alongside a group of volunteers, picking up trash along the riverbanks. Some people laugh at us, some ignore us—but slowly, more and more are joining in. Because change begins when one person decides to show up.

Looking back, I see a girl who once doubted herself, who questioned if she was strong enough, smart enough, capable enough. But looking ahead, I see a woman who refuses to be defined by anyone else’s expectations.

I am not here to be admired, to be placed in a box, to be a token for someone else’s success. I am Not Your Lollypop. I am a woman who fights, who builds, who rises—and I am just getting started.