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My Only Paradise - The Humans of India

My Only Paradise

My Only Paradise

“It goes without saying that college is a great place to get an education. But these couples remind me that college can be more than just going to class and studying.”

“Our love story is very unique and a special life changing story for me and the man I love with all of my heart and soul. The first time I saw him, we were sitting next to each other but on a different desk. I remember glancing over at him and thinking, Oh! God, His Smile..the charm on his face when he smiles. I really cannot describe in words… It felt like there’s all the light in the world. After not being in touch for almost 4 months, we started talking and became really good friends. Then after few months we came in a relationship and then happiness began to fill my day. We’ve shared so many good times together. We laugh together, we walk together, we talk together, we sit together. There are so many great times that we’ve had together.
A feeling so sweet and special too. As I said earlier, our love story is unique as “I love him but he doesn’t ” and still we are together. We had a special bond that grew stronger day after day. I only wish that it could stay that way forever. He is the only thing I ever really wanted.”

“I will not use any derogatory words like true love or false love as they serve the purpose to demean the very meaning of love. Love can’t be false or true. It is just love. Either you love someone or not, there is no true or false justifying your purpose. For some people there is only one person. For me it is him. We do share a bittersweet relation or it is just bitter, not a relation.
People love one another, hate one another or simply doesn’t want the other person to exist or in some cases their sole
existence is based on the other.”

“Is there anything that you would like to say to him?”

Yeah ! I would like to say…If its a yes, hold me like you mean it If its a no, stay as we are now You can walk away after this.
I can live with a “maybe” rather than a “no” Hope is a good thing You are the only one I have.”

HUMANS OF INDIA

MORE STORIES
"The outsider"

“Modelling was always at the back of my mind.

When I was in the 10th standard, I decided to give a shot at modeling. Without any modeling background, it seemed like a futile idea. I had no clue about where to begin, how to proceed, whom to approach. Rejections crowded my way. People made fun of me because I was too thin back then. With time, I had become thick-skinned.

People say unexpected things happen at unexpected times. I couldn’t agree more. In the 12th standard, I got my first break in modeling. I got selected for my first ever fashion show. I was surprised but delighted at the same time. What seemed like an endless series of failures, suddenly led to an overwhelming success. Patience was the key.

Today, when I look back, I take pride in whatever I have achieved till date. I have done shoots with Snapdeal, Flipkart, Raymond, Zee news and many other designer brands as well. I have also walked the ramp for various designers. However, I wasn’t an overnight star, I had to work hard for all this. I’d like to credit my parents for all this. They have stood with me through thick and thin. They supported my decision, even when it seemed like a risky affair. I can very proudly say that I have just graduated from college and yet haven’t borrowed a single penny from my parents in the last two years. Hopefully, one day, you see me on billboards across roads. “

Dancing through the days

“Dance has always been a huge part of me, ever since I was three years old. My folks never encouraged any sort of dance classes so I used to watch TV and YouTube and learn on my own. Eventually I fought and joined Dance classes and a couple of months later my talent was acknowledged and I was chosen to be an instructor. It was a great feeling to get a lot of recognition from everyone for something that I was passionate about, but of course there were a lot of hardships. I had to drop out of college and I started with just two thousand as monthly salary which wasn’t much considering I traveled a lot for classes. With a lot of strength to deal with the obstacles and some kind of a stubborn determination, I’m here today as what I am!

I face a lot of criticism from older people because they claim to have more experience than I do in the field. I accept their point of view but I do not necessarily oblige because I believe in hard work and determination. There are instances where the older instructors have had trouble trusting me because of my age. However within no time I made sure I proved my point, became a “master-instructor” at the age of 19 and held a lot of dance shows and classes independently. I’m not afraid to say that I could even be better than them sometimes and age or background really isn’t a factor that determines your talent and power.

When most people of my age enjoy socializing and going out and things like that, I enjoy my work more. Honestly it is such a major drawback at times to not socialize in today’s world but life is all about prioritizing and I choose my Work. I absolutely love dancing as it makes me forget about reality and I’m glad I get to work through my passion – Dance.” – Spoorthi

Make your passion your career

“Since my childhood I was interested in music. In those days,I listened to music on cassettes,radios and TV. I eventually got attached to music and always thought of making a career and living out of it. I always admired RD Burman sahab because his music inspired me to become an artist. As a student my mind always got diverted to music instead of studies. I played on anything, a box, a bench and my family also noticed and supported my passion for Music. One of my friends went to a place called Malvan and they have this Koli Festival in which everyone played the drums, dholaks, saxophones. Whenever I visited this place, I always went inside the music room while others went out and enjoyed. And from there I got attracted to playing drums. It has been around 31 years since I have been in the music industry. One of the many Obstacles I faced was financially for buying an instrument as I belonged to a lower middle class family. But my mother and my sister helped me get my first drums and I started going to a music teacher. Then in 1993 I joined my first orchestra and my music career got a big push and ever since I played for various playback singers such as Sunidhi Chauhan, Kumar Sanu and I have also played abroad from Dubai till Bahrain.”

“My only message to all the parents would be to let your children chose their own career path or make their own career. Don’t stop them from doing what they are interested in doing.”

Mumbai, Stories
The life changer

“Everything Changed ever since my dog came into my life. At the start it was very difficult to handle him as we were new to handling pets. But slowly and steadily as time passed by we got better at interacting with him. The workload suddenly increased when he was first adopted as he defecated anywhere and anytime. We had problem giving him food at proper time so we had to give him to a dog trainer. But then I noticed that our dog got really scared every time the trainer was around. Because he beat him with a stick, we immediately canceled his training and made sure that he doesn’t do this to any other dog again. Now before dirtying our house he comes to us and gives us signs that he wants to go out. He truly has blessed us with his presence in our lives. But at first I was not open to this kind of change, it all changed when he fell Ill at the age of 6-8 months, which turned out to be a nightmare for us. We came to know that he had Infection, the doctors said that “we will see what we can do”. It was a very critical stage. That was the moment I felt his value in my life.”

Mumbai, Stories
Ab Fit hoga India - Rakesh Sharma CEO Zymin

“One thing that life has taught me is to expect the unexpected. From being in the merchant navy last year this time to having my own start-up which will hopefully change the fitness industry in India has been a humongous transformation for me. Over the tenure of my life I have learnt that we should never lose out on opportunities and that when they come knocking on the door, we should welcome it with open arms. At the same time we should make sure that the opportunity is used to the fullest and that is where my Merchant Navy background comes to help as being disciplined and on time is as important in a start up as it is in the Merchant Navy. Zymin came into being on the onset of November last year when my elder brother and I saw the flaws in the Indian fitness industry both for the trainers and for us. My main advice for people would be that we should start small in life but dream big. Dreaming and making it your goal to achieve those dreams is what has helped me get a team of 6 people and a mobile application which can revolutionize the fitness industry.”

Mumbai, Stories
The Success Story of an Accountant!

“As soon as I graduated college when I was twenty two years old, I worked locally as an accountant while trying my best to gain opportunities as an actor.
It took tremendous effort and a long time before I could display my talent and get a job as an actor with a side role in one of the best Kannada films at the time.
I had worked as an accountant for almost 15 years totally when I didn’t have a film to work on and still continue to do so.
I am forty eight years old now and have acted in over 300 films and starred in various commercial ads and other documentaries.
I hope to continue making films for as long as I can and I’d like to say that working hard for your passion will always pay off as long as your intentions and goals are clear and focused on.”

Bengaluru, Stories
Earn and Grow!

“I really love India but there is one thing that worries me every single time I come across poverty. I
I love travelling and have travelled to over twenty countries purely to observe and experience different cultures and backgrounds.
There is something in the way a lot of other countries have grown and progressed that give me happiness to just know about.
I believe we as Indians promote poverty sometimes by donating to the able and well bodied people of the nation instead of encouraging them to earn their money and not beg.
If only we could eradicate poverty by promoting an attitude to work hard and not waste precious time and resources, I believe our country could be just as good as every other well developed nation.”

Bengaluru, Stories
"All About Me"

“Its different coming from coastal area to a big city like Delhi. I have been here for 12 months and it’s my first experience living in a big city. Change from normality . To get out of my comfort zone. When you are far away from your family , not that it is a fear, but you are aware that you are far away.”

New Delhi, Stories
GOTTA GO

What is your favorite childhood memory?

“After every Sunday lunch, my mother, father, sister and I would drive around entire lengths and breadths of Goa.”

.

“I am new to Delhi, as I got married recently. It was difficult for me in the beginning, but I am learning the culture of this city. I love traveling and am looking forward to explore interesting places in Delhi.  Once again, I am happy to relive my childhood memories  with my husband.”

New Delhi, Stories
"Never Too Old To Dance"

“What brought you to belly dance?”

” I saw an ad posted in college for belly classes and got very excited to learn this new subject. My love for dancing lead me to try various dance forms .  I know all the leaps and splits. Plus, I liked the fact that there were all age levels in the class. It meant I could never be too old to dance. When music touches you in its own special way then let your soul be free to say – DANCE. The beautiful person you will grow into will surprise you. Don’t settle for less and know your worth!

New Delhi, Stories
DESIRE OF DANCE

“I was always a desirous student in college and hence took up professional training in Bharatanatyam. I was very active, participating in cultural programs and never missed a single opportunity to dance. Instead of considering it as another  hobby, Young artists should take up dance seriously .”

“Give all your heart to the art form and it will love you back more, day by day.”

New Delhi, Stories
My Only Paradise

“It goes without saying that college is a great place to get an education. But these couples remind me that college can be more than just going to class and studying.”

“Our love story is very unique and a special life changing story for me and the man I love with all of my heart and soul. The first time I saw him, we were sitting next to each other but on a different desk. I remember glancing over at him and thinking, Oh! God, His Smile..the charm on his face when he smiles. I really cannot describe in words… It felt like there’s all the light in the world. After not being in touch for almost 4 months, we started talking and became really good friends. Then after few months we came in a relationship and then happiness began to fill my day. We’ve shared so many good times together. We laugh together, we walk together, we talk together, we sit together. There are so many great times that we’ve had together.
A feeling so sweet and special too. As I said earlier, our love story is unique as “I love him but he doesn’t ” and still we are together. We had a special bond that grew stronger day after day. I only wish that it could stay that way forever. He is the only thing I ever really wanted.”

“I will not use any derogatory words like true love or false love as they serve the purpose to demean the very meaning of love. Love can’t be false or true. It is just love. Either you love someone or not, there is no true or false justifying your purpose. For some people there is only one person. For me it is him. We do share a bittersweet relation or it is just bitter, not a relation.
People love one another, hate one another or simply doesn’t want the other person to exist or in some cases their sole
existence is based on the other.”

“Is there anything that you would like to say to him?”

Yeah ! I would like to say…If its a yes, hold me like you mean it If its a no, stay as we are now You can walk away after this.
I can live with a “maybe” rather than a “no” Hope is a good thing You are the only one I have.”

New Delhi, Stories
He bought him a Dosa

“This kid came by and asked for money, but I bought him food which was more valuable to him. Everybody reading this post is fortunate enough to choose their meal but unfortunately many aren’t. So guys whenever a beggar begs give them food instead of MONEY !!! Because ultimately a man begs only for his TUMMY.”
.
(Zain didn’t want a pic but I forced ?? along with the kid !!! ?)

Sangli, Stories
The Faithful Being

“I stayed in Cuff Parade in Bombay and worked as an Estate Agent. I have Multiple Sclerosis which can’t be cured and has disabled me to walk. Few years back I shifted to Delhi where I stayed for some time and then moved back to Mumbai. I realized it was boring at home, so my sister suggested this old age home. I really like it here, it feels like Home. We come from different religion and background but stay as one strong family.”

My message to the younger generation is “Be faithful to your partner and solve problems together.”

Mumbai, Stories
Life Of A Traveller

“I came to the city from Bihar when I was 9, with my family. My father decided to shift here in search of work in my childhood. He drove an Auto rickshaw and earned enough to feed our family by working 14-16 hours daily. He secretly saved a little money but with the changing times, he became old, sick and weak. As an elder brother, I took up all the responsibilities of my family on my shoulder. Fortunately, his savings helped us purchase an Auto-Rickshaw which I drive proudly. Like my father I am earning a good sum of money for something I always loved. Instead of feeling ashamed it only motivated me, as I love driving on the streets of Delhi. By the way, I never broke any traffic rules and always dropped my passengers to their destination on time.”

New Delhi, Stories
Path Changer

“Whenever I planned to do something big, money became an issue, And related to my business of Car dealership whenever I am about to go and purchase a car which came at a reasonable price. I am confident that after investing in the car I would get good money but financial crisis happened again. Because I belong to a middle class family, I did not get the proper support from my family that I should’ve got. My parents are a little Old fashioned, they always told me that you should do a job rather than a business it will bring stability, but I was confident that I could do good business. I did not get any Proper Platform related to this business, There were many people who were encouraging me to do business but none of them supported me Financially, 2-3 cars can be sold by anyone but having a proper platform which I got here in Autorama,”

How did I get this platform?

“I did Hotel management in a college, at the time the app for selling things was new. After selling a few cars to friends, I planned to drop out of Hotel management completely and starting this, selling 3 cars turned into 1 dealer to 2 dealers and then I got this platform for car dealership.”

Mumbai, Stories
Engineering Dream

“I recently passed my 10th standard and came to a senior class, and we can already feel a pressure on ourselves ,our day starts with coaching and ends on coaching ,I am working really hard to get into a good engineering college .Engineering was always my dream .I played badminton though ,and I was really good at it ,but I hardly get a time for it now .”

New Delhi, Stories
Shy girl

“I was a really shy girl in my childhood ,but over the time I worked on myself to gain confidence and to talk to everyone around.Now I participate in debates and I can speak on any topic I want .I am also a Dancer and I have won quite a few national awards .The stage gave me confidence like no other thing .”

Get down and Play More!

“I see a lot of children play games on computers and mobile. Parents give mobile phones to infants so that they stop crying, which is very wrong. They would soon get addicted to this and stop doing any physical activity at all. I motivate children of my society to play outdoor games. You get fresh air, mind and body get exercise plus your eyes don’t get strained because of the Mobile screens. In my younger days we always played more outdoor games and got injured but we wore them proudly.”

“Back then we had fixed timings when our parents sent us to play. We would play from 5′ to 8′ and during exams the time was reduced , but it was mandatory to go out and play. There were no distractions such as Fidget Spinners which every kid wants to own. Before it was either you invent your own games or try to socialize. The biggest change that I see in today’s kids is that they are spoon feed. Earlier we had a deal and earned something, if you passed with flying colors then your wish will be fulfilled, unfortunately nowadays this has changed.

My message for today’s generation is that “Be the Best and if you fail, keep trying and Do not Give Up. Have Patience”.

Mumbai, Stories
LIFE OF A MAHOUT

“Becoming a mahout was one of the prestigious designations to hold in forest areas . Generally many mahouts live in the deep forests near the hilly places. A mahout’s day starts before dawn when he has to take the elephant to an early grazing in the lowlands around the valley. The bonding between the mahout and the elephant is so deep because these elephants see these people as much as they do their parents. So these mahouts consider the elephant as their own offspring. We stay mostly in areas where there’s more elephant population.”

“The post lunch we set on to the Flower Valley where they transport loads of flowers to the vendors around the place and try to make some money. But sometimes during these transportation, unfortunately many mahouts and elephants get surrounded by a pack of animal predators who hunt on them to feed their species. We , the Mahouts are similar to warriors whose prime duty is to protect their elephant.Due to the decline in the popularity, these people have gone off the radar. But we people, who are suffering for their day to day survival should be treated well with reverence and they are nothing less than entertainers who try to make a living out of what they know.”

Chennai, Stories
"When I Ran Out of Tea"

“I am running this Pani Puri business for 3 years. I look around, pick an open space and set up my stand there. I’m used to the ups and downs of my life. I was a tea seller before starting this business . After some thought , I started this business and it has been my support all these years. I make a simple and honest living and my family is proud of it. Once in a while ,someone compliments on the neatness of my stand or the quality of Pani Puri. I just love my job.”

New Delhi, Stories
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