I was born in a small town in the central part of India called Ballarpur, a small town in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra state. As a child I grew up with my Mummy and my Baba. As you may notice, I was more close to my Mom than Baba. My Mother took upon her all of the financial responsibilities because my father, being a social worker, hardly earned any penny to save for a family of four. He was so giving in nature (and still he is). He would not think twice to give-away and help others in need.

Oh! Wait, did I say a family of four? Yes, it was only later I learnt that I also had a brother who was 15 months elder to me. I was born in 1985 to a poor-middle class parents who were well educated but they would strive hard to make ends meet as they also had to support my father’s 5 siblings – 1 brother and 4 sisters. My Mummy’s savings were spent for their education and building their careers leaving just enough savings with us to survive. 

This meant that when I was born, my parents could not afford raising two children at the same time and that’s probably why now I realise my only brother was raised by my Grandmother (Mom’s Mom) in  the State of Andhra Pradesh, thousands of miles far away from three of us only to have him move back in Maharashtra State to live with us as a happy reunited family in 2000 after around 6 years later when our financial situation had only improved by a bit in these years so that my parents were able to afford sending us to English Medium School – considered to rich-class stuff in those times.

As I look back from where I am now, I have no doubts in acknowledging the fact that Mummy and Baba strongly inherited the Power of Education and were fearless and resourceful in providing the best schooling option available at that point of time for me and my brother even if that meant putting my parents in dire straits! We went to Dilasagram Convent High School and completed schooling (Class X) with flying colours.