“I come from a little town near Rajahmundry, and moved here when I got married. I was 19 then, he was 28 and working as a driver here in Hyderabad. At the time, I was just finishing up my BSc in Mathematics. You know how it is in small towns, your parents have their own issues to deal with, and the primary focus is having their daughters married off. However, even at the time, I knew that that was the way things were done so I never resisted, despite wanting to complete another degree in Education. Knowledge was always something I chased after ever since I was a little girl.

I have two children now that are 10 and 7, but I managed to complete my MA in Telugu two years ago. It was harder than the first degree, considering I had two little kids to take care of, but they’ve always been very understanding of my desire to study, and so have my husband and parents. I guess I’m fortunate that way, and it’s really helped me guide them through their studies as well.

One thing that’s strange to me is that despite studying so devotedly, families rarely expect the women of the family to actually get a job. Education and profession are completely separate to them. However, now that the kids are growing up, I intend to take up a job as a teacher in a couple of years. It doesn’t seem like too late in my life or like I’ve missed any checkpoints, I believe we’re all here for a reason and at this point, my duty is to ensure that my children are educated, not just formally, but also in the ways of life- to be kind, respectful and grow up to be good people. At the end of the day, that’s what really matters.”