Atmanirbhar

Diya was a little girl when her father took her to school for the first time. She was her father's darling. Her mother loved her because she had given her birth. But she wanted Diya to be a boy. In fact Diya's father had wanted a son. For not giving birth to a son Diya's family had severely reprimanded her mother. Initially Diya's father was loathe to love and cuddle Diya but slowly observing her grow he could not afford to but not love her. Diya had brought luck and good fortune to her family in a covert way if not in an overt manner observant to all. She being the only girl child to her parents, her education cost was borne by the government as per the latest policy. Now the stress was on the growth of the girl child. Diya's father had started a retail business at the time of her birth. He had tried many ventures before but couldn't succeed and money got blocked in useless inventory. When Diya stopped breast feeding there was need for baby food and that too on regular basis and in plenty. Diya's father had an idea and started a. distributorship of baby food. Surprisingly in a cut throat competitive market he did not have to look back. His business was reaping in revenues and profits by the bag full. As Diya was growing the business was also growing.

Now, when Diya started school, new challenges came upon her family. She was the first generation learner. Though money was now plentiful but talent was limited in the household. In this very household, the education of a girl child did not have any weight even in the previous generation but Diya's father understood the importance of a Girl's education. He was a businessman with a good foresight so he understood the implications of a quality education. He wanted to make Diya '' Atmanirbhar'' or self dependent. Because that was the moniker being used in common parlance amongst the masses. The government was talking about self dependency in a big way.

Diya took to sports as she grew older . She became a cricketer and that too a good one. After completing her college she became a pro and joined the nation wide women's cricket league. Her stellar performance made her an icon. Advertisement enforcements poured in by the heaps. She was now a rupee millionaire. She began dating her club franchisee owner. The owner was a divorcee with a daughter. This little girl loved Diya very much. In fact her love for this little girl drew her to this franchise owner. Diya's family may have objected but she didn't care. Earlier such courtship would not have been tolerated as it was an unheard of social practice and considered taboo and alien to the society. Even in the previous generation there had been a case of honour killing. Diya's own aunt, her father's sister had eloped with an intercaste boy. Then the couple had been hounded out and burnt alive. But those heinous days were now history. Her family embraced the bold changes in the society and welcomed Diya's would be husband with a lavish engagement ceremony. Later they were married in a more extravagant style where the guests included the who's who of both the political, corporate and sports world. With the growing up of Diya, the society had also become 'Atmanirbhar'.