Source: Humans of Bombay

“At 19, my parents wanted me to marry a boy from the US, but I wasn’t sure if I would get along with him – so I refused. I took a risk and left Rajkot for Bombay, telling my parents that I would only come back home once I was married.

I ended up marrying a boy of my choice, a doctor – and that was the best decision of my life. Back then, he had a large group of friends who were all primarily in the medical field, so before attending any party I would read up about 2-3 subjects and speak about them there and then everyone would tell him, ‘she’s so well read!’, and that would be the highlight of my night!”

“What advice would you give people?”

I’ve reached a stage in my life where I feel like I’ve spoken enough and have finally understood the power of listening. I sit at family dinners and listen to my children and grandchildren because I think there’s a lot to learn from the new generation.

I can now use Whatsapp and Facetime to keep in touch with my family wherever they travel and this is something I’ve learnt by listening to my grandchildren. So, if I have one piece of advice it is to speak less and listen more, because the world is always full of great things to learn, even at my age!”