My Story

My Story: “Unlike My Elder Brother, Who Had Cherubic Face At The Time Of His Birth, I Was Born Disfigured”

Ashish Saini (31) was born with a rare congenital disorder called lymphatic malformation, which disfigured the left side of his face. Others always treated him with sympathy, ignorance, mockery, hatred, empathy and even, to some extent, guilt. It took him a long time to accept the reality of how he looked. Now, he is extremely comfortable in his own skin and pursues his passion for modelling through his blog.

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My Story: “Nani Reminds Me Over And Again That Age Is Just A Number When It Comes To Chasing One’s Dreams”

Yashi Chowdhary prompted her Nani, Manju Devi Poddar to start her own venture during the COVID-19 lockdown. Her Nani has always been passionate about cooking and finally started her venture at 70 with assistance from her granddaughter. Through ‘Nani’s Special’, they serve varieties of sweets, snacks and other dishes, and have even made deliveries overseas.

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My Story: ‘I Wanted To Help Struggling Litti-Chokha Seller, Zomato Assured To Get Him Onboard After My Tweet Went Viral’

Priyanshu Dwivedi, a freelance writer, resides in Maharashtra’s Mumbai. On March 16, he went to his customary stall, near Versova beach, to have Litti-Chokha. Although he has been a regular at the stall, that particular day he decided to engage in a conversation with the vendor, Yogesh, beyond the usual banter. He found out that the Yogesh was facing extreme difficulties in making ends meet. Later, Priyanshu tweeted about the incident and sought help from Zomato to get the stall listed on the platform. The tweet went viral, ending up being shared by the likes of actor Manoj Bajpayee and ultimately triggering a response from Zomato.

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My Story: ‘Ola Auto Driver Returned My Belongings, Refused To Accept Reward For His Honesty’

Susanta Sahoo, a digital marketing professional and a blogger, hails from Odisha’s Bhubaneshwar. On March 13, Sahoo misplaced his phone and wallet in an Ola autorickshaw while commuting from work. The rickshaw driver, a good Samaritan, returned his belongings and has become the internet’s new hero for his honesty after Sahoo’s tweet describing the incident went viral.

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My Story

Real-life, first-person accounts that remind us every human has a story to tell, experiences to share, and actions to inspire.

Vicky Roy ran away from his home at the age of 11, worked as a rag picker and dishwasher at the New Delhi Railway Station. Today, he is an acclaimed photographer with several awards in his kitty.
Subhathra Rajaraman lost her husband in a fatal road accident when her daughter was just one. She fought immense societal pressure to not take up a job and get remarried but she knew where a brighter future awaited her.
Manisha Krishnasamy, a 24-year-old woman, was born to a lower-middle-class family in Erode city of Tamil Nadu. Through her NGO Jeevitham Foundation, she identifies street-dwellers and helps in their rehabilitation.
Safeena (name changed) began suffering from depression after a heartbreak. Things got so dire that even performing basic activities like eating, bathing felt like a task. But thanks to therapy, she is on the road to recovery.
The 62-year old Komala Devi began her venture when most people retire from theirs. She exemplifies the saying that, "Everyday is a new day, and its never too late to begin".
Shaik Syfulla and his family's only income was from their general store. When the lockdown was announced and the income was negligible, they had begun thinking of selling their property to sustain.
Ashish Joshi, an undergraduate in architecture, looks after hundreds of strays in Aurangabad. He feeds them, takes care of their medication, and takes care of their health as he believes the creatures are in dire need of love and care.
Madhu Priya shares her inspiring journey of how her parents, both vegetable vendors, supported her to become first-generation learner and first girl child in the family to make it big in life.
Brigadier Sandeep Thapar served the Indian Army for 36 years. From a young boy in 1979 to a commissioned officer in 1982, he knew his life had changed forever.
Leelakrisha Isukapalli fought financial and academic troubles to fulfil his responsibilities. He held onto the silver lining even when he thought he had lost almost everything.
Rishabh Vivian started distributing food and ration kits to the poor during the lockdown. He wants a bring a change in society and hence teaches several children for free and started a listening circle to improve the mental health of people around him.
Samyuktha Alwar is all set to take on the world with the belief to achieve her ambitious dreams. A Mass Communication student at college and a professional baker at home, she has her eyes set on what she wants from life.
Prakirti Soni officially came out as a transwoman in August 2020. She received support from her family and friends for dealing with the transition and it made the journey comparatively easier for her.
Neha Chopra is a self-made architect who took all challenges in her stride and never gave up on her dream. She added another feather to her cap after designing the President's house.
Wasif Rasheed (17), from north Kashmir's Sopore town, owns a Digital and IMEX marketing company and uses his skills for tech exploration.
Kanya Babu has been threatened with dire consequences for rescuing trafficked children who have been forced into begging but she has been standing tall in the face of challenges. Till date, she has rescued more than 80 children.
Imtiyaz Ali was taken away from his parents on the pretext of a good education and a better life. What awaited him was worse than the poverty-stricken conditions he was born in.
Bilal (name changed) went to trekking last year along with his group of friends to Kolsar Lake in north Kashmir. Since then, everyone is clueless about his whereabouts.
Deepika Padala works as an educator after giving up her prestigious job and was questioned by all for taking this decision. She wants to prepare students to deal with real-world challenges and teach them to come up with practical solutions to problems instead of just focusing on studies theoretically.
Inderdeep Minhas lost her 18-year-old son to a fatal road accident in 2016. The loss instilled a purpose in her to start an initiative to save lives and make public roads safer for all.
Ankit Bhardawaj lost his mother Meenakshi Bhardwaj, who was 64, in April due to a lack of oxygen. Her sons are demand accountability from the government.
32-year-old Anna Durai, an auto-rickshaw driver of Chennai, has stocked up his auto with around 40 magazines,TV, a laptop, an iPad, card swiping machines, masks, sanitizers and a mini refrigerator.
Mubashir Haja Najmudeen, had always aspired to become a television anchor. Just when he had started to gain popularity, he met with an accident resulting in a facial paralysis.
Josephine Sequeira (40), lost her friend Vinod Kharka to lung cancer in 2019. She donated her hair and went bald to say goodbye to him.