Chhindwara (Madhya Pradesh): Though the world dedicates March 8 every year to celebrate the feminine spirit, every day, women from all corners of the world continue to weave stories of resilience despite the adversities. This is one such story of a woman auto-driver from Madhya Pradesh who has managed to break the barriers of societal constructs that were built and metamorphosed across ages. Reshma Khan from Chhindwara has been working as an auto driver for the past 4 years to support and build a better life for her family. Though it has not been an easy task to take up and carry on with such unconventional job for a woman, Reshma narrated her story of grit with the grace she has retained despite.
Reshma started driving an auto rickshaw out of necessity than out of will, after her husband's hand got fractured four years ago. "It was a crucial time, we had hit a financial rock bottom with no means to continue a stable survival. I did not know how to ride an auto. But I saw no other way than to learn it myself and make a living out of it. I had some basic knowledge of the hows and whats of driving an auto. I just improvised and soon started driving full time after securing a license," Reshma said .
Other than being an inspiration for the women around her, Reshma continues to play her roles as a mother and a wife as poignantly. A mother of two children - an 11 year old daughter and a 7 year old son - she said things have been much easier ever since she has started working. "Me and my husband both work now, making ours a double-income household. Things have grown to be much better than before. I am happy I am able to give my children the education and life they deserve, " she said, adding how appreciative she is for the support she has received from her husband.
Describing the ordeals that she had to face to reach here, Reshma said that she never really bothered about the taunts or the scrutiny from the society. "People say whatever they want to say. I just want my children to have a platform where they can give their best and for that, I am ready to do whatever it takes," she says. Though she had almost developed a flair for her work and consequent income within a year, the unforeseen hit of the pandemic gave her and her family a particularly difficult time. "There was hardly any income, it had gone back again to zero. We thankfully managed to sail through somehow. All things pass, so did the bad times. Our situations are back to normal now," she affirmed.
A typical day in Reshma's life now looks like one full of hard work and satisfaction. She leaves the house in the morning after sending her children to a good school, rides auto all day to earn a living, comes back home in the evening to have meal with her family and calls it a day. While many women who are making a difference in the world around them are being celebrated as strong, independent women, it's women like Reshma who also deserve to be equally celebrated for the small changes they dare make in their own little worlds - unknowingly inspiring, changing and affecting many others like themselves.
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