We meet people unexpectedly in our journeys through life, and their lives touch us deeply.
That is what happened to me during a recent train journey. A woman who traveled with me opened my eyes to what an ordinary person who understands the importance of education can do in the world.
When I boarded the Howrah-Pune Azad Hind Express on that hot afternoon in early March, I had least expected anything spectacular to happen in my life.
For almost three hours no one spoke much. We just got adjusted and acquainted as the train roared ahead. Then I struck conversation with a Catholic nun in the coach. We found we had many common interests — church activities, school, and media.
When evening came, we prayed the Rosary unaware that other passengers were watching us. We had just completed our prayers, then a woman sitting next to us asked, “Are you teachers?”
She had been observing us for a long time, it seemed.
I said, “No. We are a Catholic priest and a nun.”
She then showed lot of interest in Christian religion, our life and mission. Other passengers also joined enthusiastically. I thought it was an occasion to preach Christ: Direct Evangelization. They were amazed to know the richness of religion and acknowledged the work missionaries do for society.
The woman introduced herself: Ratna Chaudhary, a school teacher. She was going to the Education Directorate in Pune to represent Vidharbha for preparing the textbook for Maharashtra state syllabus.
A cheerful Ratna started then shared how she overcame struggles in her life to become an effective educator and counselor.
She was born in a Rajput family in Rajasthan. She was married off at the age of 13. She was in the eighth grade. She never knew what marriage was but left Rajasthan with her in-laws thinking it was a picnic. She was playing with other girls in the village even on the day of her marriage.
Since the couple had no child for some years, her in- laws started mistreating her. But her husband was supportive. He agreed when she expressed her desire to continue her studies.
After completing her tenth grade, she delivered a girl child. Along with household responsibility and baby-sitting she completed her higher secondary exam and continued to study.
During that time she delivered another girl child that annoyed the in-laws. They wanted a boy to keep the family. Her third child was also a girl.
As the torture from in-laws became unbearable the couple decided to move out of the ancestral house. She believed deep within that one day her in- laws would accept the fact that girl child is equally important as a boy to the family.
Even when her children began school Ratna continued her studies. She completed Masters in Arts, Education and went for M Phil and a number of other degrees. Armed with all this, she became a qualified counselor of Vidharbha Region. She currently teaches in a Hindi medium higher secondary school in Wardha.
She believes education could change the way one looks at society. She taught her children the same and provided everything for their studies. At present her elder daughter is working in Washington DC, the second one in Pune and third child is appearing for the tenth grade exam in March.
She loves to help poor children in her school by paying their fees and uniform. This often leaves her pocket empty at the end of month. However, she is happy that she can educate poor children of her locality expecting nothing in return.
Ratna is currently doing her doctorate from Nagpur University.
All this was possible because of her husband, she says. He stood by her at all times emboldening her to fight every odds. Her daughters are also following her path.
According to her, life has taught her a lesson: one can face all challenges with faith in God and a loving partner.
She never accepts defeat, or surrenders to obstacles. Her strong determination and the fire within made her work hard and prove to the world that ‘I can make a difference in the lives of many.’
For me, the train journey was another occasion to learn something new in life.