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She passed the infamous “Dong test “at the board interview of St John’s Medical College, Bangalore to claim her coveted seat on the basis of her sharp brain to take away the sash of M.B.B.S. Contesting for a beauty pageant 25 years later is like Cinderella finding the other glass slipper to be eligible for the ball room dance with the prince.Four months ago, completely unprepared, she auditioned for the initial round of a local beauty pageant organized for the first time in her area where she got shortlisted and shown the way to the changing room . She went inside to hang her stethoscope and apron and exited a sexy lass dazzling in red gown with painted nails, kohl lined eyes heavily coated with mascara over her artificial eyelashes
For five year old Ayush it is beyond comprehension why his mother, at 44, is going around parading in the drawing room swaying her hips . She keeps checking herself in the mirror every now and then for any make up flaws . He simply believes “She has gone crazy”.
Four months ago, completely unprepared, she auditioned for the initial round of a local beauty pageant organized for the first time in her area where she got shortlisted and shown the way to the changing room . She went inside to hang her stethoscope and apron and exited a sexy lass dazzling in red gown with painted nails, kohl lined eyes heavily coated with mascara over her artificial eyelashes.
The concealer was tactfully applied to cover the blemishes, cheek bones touched with a highlighter, eyebrows arched , lips painted and matching shimmering golden eye shadow did the trick. The transformation had been extraordinary and gone was the look of lackluster Doctor who preferred doing regular ward rounds in the Medicine department of the 500 bedded Holy Cross Hospital at Surguja , District Ambikapur , Northern Chhattisgarh. The hospital is dedicated to looking after the health care needs of local population majority being tribal.
She herself hails from the Oraon tribe, eldest amongst the three daughters and her widowed mother is rather uncomfortable with her sudden leap and popularity on to the ramp and is extremely conscious of “Log kya kahenge “.
She hugs her mother tight and adjusts the crown on her head as she rushes off to be in time for the next round. Mrs. Kerketta’s beaming smile fails to match her words and overwhelming emotions as she makes the sign of the cross wishing her daughter good luck.
Her portfolio was being made for past 25 years while providing health related guidance and care to tribal women and children with issues. Sexy is an elusive mental label even for her to identify with while competing in an arena of beauty as her work profile involves delivering sex education and conducting counselling sessions for the prenuptial couples at the local Parish.
The public forum that she addresses often at various community levels regarding matters of health is rarely event managed. Her sensible answer about suggesting “a law to the government to reduce food wastage and measures to check over consumption of food “ in pure Hindi won her the title of Mrs. Surgujawala hands down at the first level itself. With no army background to boast for her outlook and attitude in life she was speaking from her heart as she smiled for the shutter bugs. She had witnessed and lived those moments in her life when money was a dire need to fill hungry stomachs of her family.
This may be a probable reason behind her well maintained vital statistics which did not allow her the luxury of obesity. Having lost her father at the age of forty two to Carcinoma lung just a year before her entrance exam she trusted her brains more than the beauty she is being praised for today. Her struggles were concealed under her smile even then, highlighted with her easy going helpful nature, and glossed perfectly with a carefree attitude. She gave no inkling of the tough demands of life on her while trying to mug and cram for viva-voce so that she could finish MBBS at first attempt.
She banked heavily on her scholarship for financial aid by the institution and tried to stay consistent and bright in her studies. Her monetary problems seldom found a mention while her friends paid for her at the movie shows and she enjoyed and partook in every little prank and made it a point to have fun no matter what.
She denied entry of any inferiority complex in the manner she behaved and carried herself. Her wit made her a popular buddy to hang around with. Breaking into Tukbandi, Shero-shyari, songs she was ready to dance at the drop of a hat. She swayed harmoniously making all dance moves in perfect coordination at the popular “ Macarena “ number. She laughed longer than usual at every joke cracked. It was her way of easing out.
Her rural bond centered more around earning so that she could fund education for her two younger sisters back home . She spent more hours at work rather than studying way too hard like the other medicos aspiring to crack the P.G. entrance. It was necessary at that point. She had to decide between her family or her passport to higher education .She chose her responsibility over her desire to excel academically. Both her sisters are well placed engineers and happily settled. She bears no discontent or frustration in her life and rather used her conscious choices, tolerance and hardships as raw materials for laying the solid foundation of her next phase in life
She chose her responsibility over her desire to excel academically. Both her sisters are well placed engineers and happily settled. She bears no discontent or frustration in her life and rather used her conscious choices , tolerance and hardships as raw materials for laying the solid foundation of her next phase in life.
She had little contact with her undergraduate friends in those days as they toiled to gain their post graduate degree. She lied low and continued her services as an emergency medical officer and participated in health camps and various activities wherever she was needed apart from her regular work.
The universal event manager had planned different things for her as it was in one of these camps she met Francis, her Belgian husband who had been working with a N.G.O. for welfare of marginalized tribes in that area since 1999. Leaving behind an illustrious career and family back home in Belgium he had already chosen a mission working for the Kodaku community.
This particular nomadic tribe is just getting weaned into civilization and learning to settle as agriculturists and remains underprivileged amongst the tribals of Chhattisgarh.
The couple shared the zeal for community service and compassion as one of their key factors to attract them to each other as partners in life and got married in 2007, exactly four months after their first combined health camp. They complemented each other perfectly in qualities while sharing their social work stories at dinner.
as the story topic switched to Infertility slowly after few years. They craved for a child. The IVF (in vitro fertilization ) treatments failed six times in a row over a span of four years in an apparently normal , potentially fertile couple while the beauty queen of today got injected with hormonal treatments one after the other. The repeated losses of embryos and miscarriages haunted her as her body bloated, mood swings began and she started going into deep depression and hopelessness. The mental and emotional trauma started driving her crazy enough for her to go on a gardening spree. She brought plant and saplings worth 500 Euros to plant in her backyard garden at Belgium just to see a flower bloom and admire nature’s creation. Her bizarre behavior pattern reflected in trying out different hairstyles, body makeovers, singing lessons and many more things. Anything was good as long as it could shut that voice in her head demanding a baby from her womanly self, the one she was not able to conceive and carry to term. It followed her like a curse.
The days were dark and delusional away from the limelight moments that she now has in her life. She was so distressed and fed up with that melancholy in her heart that one day she sailed high up in a hot air balloon only to check in from that high point, where the world appeared distantly small in comparison to the big torturing obsession in her head. She describes that as a moment of epiphany when she realized that “it was perfectly okay to leave the world without a trace of her physical extension on this earth plane “. It was as if the Father sky consoled her in air that even if she allowed this thought of baby to completely consume her to the point of insanity, even then it will not make a difference to the world. She completely surrendered those obsessive thought in space that day to the universe and returned back composed to her calling at work.
Ayush was born at her sixth attempt at IVF and started repairing the dents of her deep desire with bliss of motherhood.
Her loss, lack, pain, trials and suffering aided her to her own awakening as a woman and she took it rather sportingly. She firmly believes that it is only when one empties the cup of life from frustrations of what one cannot have, only then one can prepare and get ready to fill it with what one wants!
Three years in intense caretaking devotion as a complete hand on mom to their precious child she has started filling her cup again beginning with his childish innocence. She has found this space to be so addictive that she went out to try out more soul satisfying experiences which would further define her capability as an ecstatic woman flowing with the spirit of life. The purpose kept shifting as she hungered for more while singing for elderly people at old age home in Belgium to learning Indian classical music.
And… She appeared in the beauty pageant just for a kick and ended up getting selected. She feels she is out in a new unexpected phase in her life and by her own admission she has done enough silly things to make her even conscious. Few more would not matter. She is undisturbed and manages her poise and pout with equal ease at the Q & A rounds. Her grit to never give up on herself outshines as intelligent responses automatically flow at the final rounds. She has become a favorite to win the contest with an additional title of Mrs. Perfect.She grooms herself further reading current affairs and enhancing her general knowledge.Though she ranks all her fellow contestants higher than herself on the beauty scale she is fully aware of the true ingredients that reflect the beauty of a woman and the stuff she needs to charm the world with.
“The love that she has always had for herself and others, her resilience in the toughest situations in her life, her choices, patience and her husband’s continued supports are some of the reasons behind her positivity that spills over and she is a woman to reckon with.”
In house arrest since lockdown while clocking in hours at the hospital, she is practicing her catwalk diligently. Aware of the threat of Corona virus pandemic to communities all over the country she is ready to revert back to the Doctor role whenever required. All she has do is take off her make-up, wear the apron and hang that stethoscope around her neck again. Francis who is pooling in both as Mommy and Daddy these days is completely supportive of her transformation and journey ahead.
“One should never be satisfied with their journey”
“Dream big and do not allow those jittery feelings which keep holding you back. Learn to silence that voice in your head which limits a woman as her age, complexion, body shape, marital status, weaker gender, wrong time, privileged and the list is endless. Be limitless. All these beliefs keep holding you as a prisoner in your own cage and will never let anyone fly. Step out, force jump and take that ride in a hot air balloon towards your unrealized dreams and claim that crown.“
Jump High
What would she say to the world if she found herself on that center stage with that gleaming crown over her head I wonder? I am second guessing that her favorite song which she is learning to master may be “Main zindagi ka saath nibhata chala gaya“.
