02/09/2026
25th August — my birthday.
This picture was taken when I was just five. My parents took me to a studio and made me pose like an educationist or a scholar. I often wonder what they saw in me that day.
Growing up, I watched them—two of the most resilient, strong, giving, and grateful people I knew. Without realising it, they equipped me with everything I needed for life.
Saraswati — the wisdom and calmness to keep learning.
Lakshmi — the abundance to give and grow.
Durga — the courage to fight and survive.
Kali — the strength to burn through adversity, transform, and rise again.
Today, people know me as fearless, resilient, and a fighter. But when I look at this picture, I still see that five-year-old Vanita—calm, focused, curious, and full of possibilities.
My parents aren’t here today to tell me what they were thinking when they took this picture. But perhaps this was their vision of the woman I would become.
This birthday, I feel deeply grateful—not just for how much I’ve grown, but for how many lives I’ve touched, how much I’ve learned, and for the people who continue to make my journey special.
To that little girl, and to the parents who believed in her before she knew who she would become—thank you.
