Encountering Aditya Birla.
I was just like any other 10-year-old, carefree and enthusiastic. But when my dad had to visit another city as a part of his job, it really put a damper on my spirit. In those times, the only thing that kept me going was talking to him in the evenings. I used to tell him about my day in extraordinary detail and he would do the same. No matter where he went, he would never fail to call at least once a day. Even though we were separated by distance, those phone calls brought us closer and made me feel like he was right there besides me.
I always used to wonder how something without wires can help us talk over such large distances. I knew my dad used to travel to pretty remote places too, but never did he use network coverage as an excuse for not calling. Those calls were really the highlight of my day.
As I grew up, I realized he used an IDEA SIM card which was usually the standard at the time. Now, every time I thought of IDEA, it brings back those found memories of the conversations I had with my dad. Even now, with cut throat competition, Idea has managed to remain the best option while choosing a SIM. When I got a phone, I got a IDEA SIM along with it without even giving it a second thought. I’m immensely grateful that I could communicate with the people that mattered to me the most, when I needed it the most.
Overcoming Challenges.
I was very keen on sports since my school days. Most of my evenings were spent outdoors playing with my friends. I represented my school in various sports like football and handball. To succeed in these sports, your body as well as your mind need to be in peak condition. In college I continued playing handball. We were at our best and our team had just been selected to represent the state in the national championship. We were all pumped up and practiced hard because we knew that our task wasn’t easy. Over the next few days we push ourselves to the limit.
The grand day arrived and we were ready to face any challenge head on. We proudly adorned our states jersey and hoped our hard work would pay off. The referee blew his whistle and it began. Just a few minutes into the match, just as I was about to send the ball straight into the opposition’s goal, I felt a sharp pain in my right shoulder. I had dislocated it.
Over the next few days, I was told that I couldn’t compete anymore in such high intensity sports and I needed to get a surgery done to fix the damage to my shoulder. I was heartbroken. I couldn’t see a future where I didn’t play a sport. After the surgery, I had to attend physiotherapy just to be able to move my arm normally.
I had to make peace with the fact that life won’t be the same. But even in this darkness there was light. I found that I was really good at goalkeeping. Handball is a game with smaller goals, I need not stress my arm a lot. It was a bittersweet moment wherein I was so close to the game I loved but had to hold myself back. Over time I discovered a whole new set of games I began to love such as table-tennis and chess.
I still call myself a sportsperson. This incident made me realize that every time life knocks you down, it also gives you an opportunity to be a better version of yourself. I’m really grateful I didn’t give up after the initial setback and continued to find ways to compete.