You Are More Powerful Than You Know! - Sudha Awasty

“I got married when I was 16 because my Dad believed that girls are a burden and marrying them off early was the right decision. I had to leave my education in between to handle the responsibilities of my marriage.

At my in-law’s place, I had to endure a lot. My mother-in-law was quite uptight. She fancied the age-old thought process which considers women to be less than men. She asked to me speak less and not go out. My life was limited to the kitchen and my bedroom. My husband, on the other hand, was a drunkard. He used to fight with me, scold me and even beat me. Even during my pregnancy, I wasn’t at peace. After my mother-in-law expired, my Jethani took her place and tormented me just like her. A time came, where I couldn’t take it anymore, and I moved out of that place, leaving my children behind because I knew I cannot provide for them unless I am established.

My family didn’t support this decision because by this time, my marriage had already completed 20 years. In all these years, I hadn’t voiced my issue before them even once. Thus, for them, to believe me, was quite a challenge.

I went to Delhi, did a makeup course and joined “Looks”. While I was making ends meet in Delhi, my in-laws were assuming that I had an affair, hence, I took off to Delhi. After some months, my daughter started longing for me so I had to head back. I took my children and came back to my Dad’s place. While I was there, Dad suggested me to give the marriage another chance for the kids’ sake. I couldn’t say no to him and decided to give it another shot.

But, again, the same feuds began happening. Even, my Dad and Mom came down to talk to my husband, but, he decided upon ending the marriage. With a heavy heart, my parents, my kids and I left. We even asked the kids who do they want to live with. But, just while we were about to board our train, my husband came, apologized and took us back.

Since then, all four of us are living together without any fights and violence. My husband even appreciates my job. Today, despite all my adversities, I am an independent woman who overcame her hurdles, received the “Popular Queen of Universe” title from IAWA and is ready to take challenges head on with her two kids by her side.” – Sudha Awasty.

A Trip With Friends Is The Best Therapy - The Boundless Boys

 “This year, since we had ample time, we watched numerous travel series on YouTube. we were so inspired that we asked each other, if we were up for a short trip. But, before we could agree to it all by ourselves, we needed our parent’s permission. 

We made a pact with our parents that we will obey all their commands and in return, they had to let us go on our trips. They agreed to it and asked us to abide by some rules like, not eating from strangers, keeping in touch and not taking a bath at waterfalls. After settling things with our parents, we set off to travel, without any planning and we reached Puri. This was our first trip and since then, our journey hasn’t come to an end. 

We call ourselves the Boundless Boys, because that’s the way we see the world and also want ourselves to be; free and without any boundaries. Whenever one of our friends is sad or frustrated, we plan and go on a trip so that he feels lighter and better. Our best time together has been on the top of Ranpur, Nayagarh. The narrow road made riding to the top of the hill quite a task, but ultimately, when we reached, our joy knew no bounds.

Through all our trips and adventures, we may not have achieved anything, but we have earned for ourselves a big bag full of memories. Exploring a new place and meeting new people has never been this exciting or rewarding.” – The Boundless Boys

From Sharing Memes To Representing Odia Culture - The Suna Pilas

"Our members come from different colleges and different states. We earlier knew each other mainly through sharing memes, until January, when we thought to give a shape to our aspiration; to portray the "urban culture" of Odisha. We had no previous exposure to social media handling, so to go safe, we thought we would start with shooting videos of various temples of BBSR and the lively Patia hub. This went on, rather unsystematically, till March, and then lockdown happened.

We realized then that this was going nowhere. We had to reach to people directly to send our message. Thus, "thesunapilas", where we planned to post the compiled versions of the random videos we had shot. The page did well initially and we had some 400-500 followers in just 3 days.

To experiment further, we started posting some relatable content and video memes which went well. Later, we came up with our first parody-Pal Pal Pakhala Ke Paas, which we believe was the first of its kind. It was an instant hit and we started getting calls for interviews, which we sadly couldn't attend due to the schedule of our singer. The song gained huge popularity on Instagram and YouTube, where people just robbed it and claimed their own. We then decided to open a YouTube channel to post our content and stop plagiarism.

Meanwhile, DMs poured in, where people told they were impressed by our uniqueness and wanted us to cover other cities of Odisha. With the help of Tanya Singh(Admin of @oh.delicious.cuttack),we covered Cuttack and got a massive reach of around 25-30 k. This day we realized what we are good at. Now, elevating the culture of Odisha was not just an aspiration, but a responsibility.

We didn't want to go down in people's mind as just another meme page. We wanted to be remembered as influencers, who could post content which was funny, relatable and sends a message to the audience. 

By God's grace, we received some contracts for social media handling as well as occasional promotions. It's been 9 months to this wonderful journey, and we have not faced a single controversy, thanks to our audience who have been the true Suna Pilas. 

We come from different colleges and native states and have met only once or twice in person, but we try to coordinate among ourselves through calls and edit our posts in our leisure. We don't know how far we can go as everyone has got plans and goals in life, but we will keep trying till it's possible."

-The Suna Pilas.

Sometimes, Seemingly Bad Choices Lead To A Good Life - Shilpi Sampad

“I was fascinated by journalism because my father is a journalist and worked as the Odisha Bureau Chief for NDTV for 2 decades. Little did I know about the efforts that went into the job.

When I made it to the State’s top-5 list in Intermediate boards, I was interviewed and asked about my aspirations. I mentioned Fashion Designing, because at that time, it felt fancy to me. When Papa read that in the newspaper, he wasn’t amused since he believed such courses were not meant for the middle class.

During graduation, I was confused. Fashion Designing was at the back of my mind, but it was a risk I wasn't prepared to take. Then, out of the blue, I decided to be a journalist. My father advised me against it, so as a rebellion, I stuck to my guns. I applied to 2 colleges and cracked both their entrance exams. I took admission into ACJ, Chennai, which opened up a whole new world for me.

However, I didn't get through campus placements. I came back to BBSR. I was unsure if Journalism was my calling. A month later, The Telegraph started its Odisha Edition, and I got my first job there. I was allotted a position in Kolkata, but I wasn't ready to leave home, so I requested for a reporter’s post in BBSR itself.

At Telegraph, I was mentored by the Resident Editor, Prakash Patra. He pushed me to go to the field every day, collect untold stories, and that way I started enjoying journalism. Four years later, I wanted a change and new challenges. I applied for jobs in Mumbai and got into Mid-Day. In between, I got married and a year later, shifted to Hyderabad. I work with The Hindu there.

Choosing Journalism was an impulsive decision, and though initially I considered it a bad decision, I tried to make the best out of it. Now, I know for sure that I was meant to be a journalist, because I get bothered by issues that bother people. So, I would encourage everyone not to get regret their bad choices, but to keep trying to turn the fortunes around.” - Shilpi Sampad

Being Happy Through It All - Jayanti Kumari Panda

"I used to work at an advocate’s place. I don’t remember his name, but when my body started to give away and I couldn’t work properly, he was kind enough to send me to this Ashram. It's been years since I have been here. I cannot walk properly and my hands have stopped functioning properly. I cannot even feed myself because of the condition of my hands. However, I am delighted. Delighted to be here in such company and under such wonderful care. 

I am much obliged to the advocate. Had it not been for him, I would have really missed out on this place. I am very happy about the life that I live here and the life I have left behind. I haven’t touched tobacco in my life and that indeed is my greatest achievement. I would also advise you all to refrain yourself from getting into that habit. When you have amazing and healthy options out there, why resort to this life-taking beast?

I am a huge Mutton Curry Lover. Therefore, I pray that the next time someone comes to visit me, he or she gets me some of that wonderful delicacy so that my friends and I can binge on it and have a party to ourselves."- Jayanti Kumari Panda

Improving And Achieving - Tanya Arora

"When I started writing, nobody recognized me as a writer. At 15, when I had my boards, my parents wanted me to divert all my attention to my studies. That's why at a point I stopped writing. After my exams, I got that craze again to take my pen, paper and start scribbling again.

Initially, I didn't produce great works with my writings. But, writing made me happy and satisfied. When I printed my article in my school magazine, none of my friends were supportive. They questioned me, "Tanya, will you be successful by doing this?", "Are you sure that it would ever be fruitful for you?", "Let the habit of writing be just a hobby for you." After the results came out, I started studying science and lost my fragrance for writing. A phase came when I had no time to write. All those questions and ideas raised by people around me seemed true.

Suddenly, one day when I was sitting in my computer science classes, my teacher asked me "What is your hobby?"
I answered without any hesitation that it was writing. Being stunned, he asked if he could read some of my work. Just the fact that someone was interested in reading my creation, overwhelmed me, After this incident, whatever I write, he is the first and last person to read it.

Later, I was searching for online competitions and I filled a form and I got selected. Then on, things went uphill for me, I won several competitions, was asked to publish in books and so on. When my Sir got to know all this, he said, "God gifts these talents with some purpose".

Today, I am a Co-Founder of a publication. I have my own collection on Amazon. We are all full of magic, you just need to find the correct magical words to go up and above!" - Tanya Arora.

Beyond The Sky - Aditya Mishra

 “At 13, I got exposed to a music software on my PC and that was the point from where the journey of my music started. Eventually I moved from playing guitar to playing different kinds of instruments. I started out by putting one-minute covers on Instagram out of curiosity and also wrote poetry-captions which later, became a necessity for me to feel sane. I started producing music as a 15-year-old in the form of remakes of songs and then graduated to composing and writing with musical influences like EDEN, John Mayer, Charlie Puth and Ed Sheeran to name a few. At the time of completion of my 12th boards, I was clear in my mind that, music is something in which I find peace and is something in which I can do possible wonders.

So, I moved to Mumbai for my graduation and went on to do gigs and distinct renditions of existing songs out there. The response was quite overwhelming and one of the venue-owner offered me to do a paid show and that was my first income. Then I started working with 'OneNest' in Navi Mumbai, for a year and then joined 'DéBombay' and currently working with the same. Today, I am an independent artist; writing, producing and performing my own songs.

My first performance at a mega event was at the camp site of ‘Sula Festival’ (2019). I have also performed at the ‘Sunburn’, Goa. We as a group of individuals got the chance to open the show at the ‘TonesBox’, which was attended by personalities like Zaeden and Naezy.  Again in 2020, I performed at the Sula Festival. I’ve also been blessed to perform with Kailash Kher. 

I upload my unplugged and live videos on YouTube, and my music is also available on major music streaming platforms, all under my alter ego - 'Outsky', which roughly translates to 'beyond the sky'. Almost everyone has the perception that, Mumbai is the ‘city of dreams as well as struggle’, but I tend to have a strong faith in manifestation and positive energy which has helped me create a fusion of my two personalities – Outsky and Aditya.”  – Aditya Mishra.

Music: My Happy Place! - Barnali Hota

“My Father was the one who directed me onto the path of music. He dreamed of becoming a singer, but because of the stereotypical mindset then, he couldn’t. He sent me off to Shantilata Barik for Odissi Vocal lessons when I was quite small. I used to sit on her lap and sing and sometimes, even doze off. She was the one who gave me my first stage show at the age of 4. When I went to Little Champs, I was sure that this is the thing that I wanted to do all lifelong.

In the reality shows that I had been to like Little Champs and Dil Hai Hindustani, I had to face quite a lot of issues. Since, social media wasn’t a big thing then, the audience was not quite aware, especially the Odia people. Also, the participants from Odisha were discriminated against. For me, I wasn’t allowed to choose from the bunch of songs that the Creative had selected, I was usually handed what was left. Moreover, when I returned to Odisha, the Music Directors expected me to sing a range which is not my forte. They assumed that since I am a girl, I should sing around higher range.

Despite all, I have been trying and pursuing my dream. I have done playbacks for Odia albums and music videos. I recently did a music video, “Rangabati Returns”, with MLA Sura Routray. I even assisted Adnan Sami on his European Tour in 2012.

My current aim is to use my music to talk about socio-political issues. The path might be difficult, but I am prepared to face it head on. One day, my music will bring the change that I want to see in the world.” – Barnali Hota.

Boss Lady! - Shweta Choudhury

"My journey started during my college days when blogging in Odisha was in its infancy. Having followed a lot of bloggers from outside this state, I also started blogging as a hobby, and people started liking my work. After graduating from CET, Bhubaneswar, I chose to continue with blogging rather than going for placements. When I started, people used to stare at me and think I am a model because of my make-up, clothes photoshoots on the streets. I used to leave at 9am and returned home at 9pm due to  every day travel from CTC to BBSR by bus.

Being interested in digital marketing, I decided to pursue management. Managing studies as well as blogging was intense, but with the dedication of chasing my dreams, I got into the college I wanted to, and also flourished in my blogging. My parents always let me do my desire. I was earning from my college days and had also gifted my Mom a phone. I gained reputation became being my own boss. 

Instagram, with its ‘Born on Instagram’ feature, offered to manage me by assigning me a partner, who had worked with big creators, like Avneet Kaur and BeYounick. Then, I was offered to be featured during IPL 2020, there was no limit to my happiness. This event boosted my career further as I got featured on several platforms like national magazines, newspapers, and I got radio interviews as well. Instagram started working with me regularly and they also approached me to do the DDLJ’s 25 years with YRF. I remember one of my fans gifting me a sketchbook of my pictures, and that was a really wonderful moment, because that reflected my impact on that person’s life. 

To discover what makes you happy, is important. If you feel you can make a career out of it, then nothing should stop you from moving ahead." - Shweta Chowdhury.

A Life With Strings- Pragya Kumari.

“Our entire family of five had to shift to my grandma’s place because my Dad couldn’t continue with his business. Papa and Maa used to stay away from home in quest of work and it was my siblings and I living alone with our grandparents. At my grandma’s, we weren’t acknowledged well.

Problems arose during admission into schools due to the lack of funds. My sister and I used to save money for paying up our school fees. After a few years, Maa came back to stay with us. Things seemed hopeful, but there was always the hostility from my grandparents’ side. They used to maltreat us. For 10 years, all four of us used to stay in a single room. There have been times when my brother and I had to study without electricity and water. We used to study all day, so that the darkness of the night wouldn’t cripple our dreams.

Through all these years of struggle, I completed my graduation. Though I was studying Science, my mind was always in awe of art. I couldn’t take art classes, given the financial conditions. But, while in hostel, I started learning art by myself. I scrolled through Instagram to widen my horizon. During this time, an artist friend from Pakistan recommended me to go for String Art.

I was full of zeal to learn this art form. When I tried doing it for the first time, my hands pained so much that I was on the verge of giving up. But, my friend pushed me and I kept pursuing it. My first String Art caught the eye of an Art Academy called, “Flaminart”. They asked me to create a logo for their company. Today, I am learning all new art forms from this academy itself.

My sister and I also opened an Instagram Handle, through which I received numerous orders from across India. When I started earning and saw the burden of my family lessening, I knew I was on the right track.

String Art came as a light into my life. It has helped me and my family cope up with the troubles of the world. My next step is to open an Art Gallery so that people can know how difficult it is to manually make an art piece. People these days don’t embrace Art and artists. When we charge a certain amount for our art, they usually gasp at the price, without looking at the efforts gone behind it. I hope that one day, Art earns the respect that it deserves.” – Pragya Kumari Swarnakar.

    

Discrimination Is Not Okay! - Sharanya Naik

"While working at the Indian Express, I realized that this is not my calling. I wanted to use my journalism skills to write about the struggles and lives of those who have been pushed to the margins of our society.

I shifted to my home and decided to work among the Adivasi communities of Malkangiri, Koraput and Rayagada to learn from them about their lives. Usually, we perceive them to be unwelcoming, but once you truly get to know them and can win their trust, you realize how loving they are. 

During my initial years, I got to know that they were waging on an everyday basis just to live a life with dignity and freedom from all forms of oppression. I realized with great pain that they have been violated so badly by every non-Adivasi society that interacts with them that they have become distrusting of the state and society around them. They believed that the police or any other State actors, was meant for the people of the urban areas only and not for them. 

During all these years of being a part of them, I, personally, went through a lot of change. They helped me deschool myself and live a life that was more fulfilling than anything I had lived before, close to nature. They made me unlearn everything that I had learnt and gave me a new perspective towards life. I am more at peace with myself now and my heart is smiling because of the acceptance that they gave me and the trust I could gain of them.

My next goal is to work among the Adivasi youth groups. For all these years, I have been majorly working with the elders. But, now, I want to shift my focus towards the youngsters. They are the most miseducated now because of their access to modern society which has taught them to 'hate' their own people and their ways of life. Coming from an already racially discriminated society, their confidence gets a blow when they face everyday abuses from their own non-Adivasi peers who refer to them as 'illiterate', 'backward', 'primitive', etc. I hope that one day I am able to make this world a better place for them to live in, without facing any naming and shaming of any kind." - Sharanya Naik.

The Thrill Of Motorcycling - Suman Parida

“Motorcycling has been my solace since childhood. You can say that I grew up with them because my Dad works in the automobile sector. One time, while my scooter was on the main stand, I accidently left the clutch sooner and the vehicle did a wheelie. Though it was unintentional, I enjoyed it!

My school days were quite boring. I was under confident and dormant. Due to my heavy weight, I used to live in a state of inferiority complexion. Later, for my degree, I moved out of Bhadrak and shifted to BBSR. The change of scene brought a change in my confidence level. I stayed happy, got along with people, fell in love on the first day of college, did amazing in studies and also got into motorcycling. Every weekend, my friends and I would go stunting, with all the safety precautions, of course. It was a gala time.

My deep inclination towards motorcycling was affecting my grades. I had 7-8 backs. In 3rd year, I decided that I have to have a job and motorcycling can come along later. I shifted my focus, cleared my backs, went on to be the first rank holder and also had a job in hand. In 2016, my company asked me to move to California, but I decided to come back to Odisha. My parents were alone and being around them, in case of any issue, was important. They built me and now, it was my duty to give back to them.

While in Odisha, my mind being filled with motorcycling, my friends and I created a group called, ‘’Motorcyclists”. It has become my family now. One of the group members and I also opened an Automobile Gear Store called, “Mad Biker”. Mad Biker gave me satisfaction like nothing else. None of my jobs can even compare to that. People messaging about how our helmet saved their life, leaves me with a wide smile. Just a pair of wheels that helped me to move faster, changed my life and HOW!” – Suman Parida.

You're Beautiful Just The Way You Are! - Akankhsya Mohapatra

 “After undergoing body shaming, hormonal imbalance and painful periods due to an ovarian cyst, I finally decided to get fit. YouTube was my first guide, I started working out at home, gained knowledge on nutrition and lost 17kgs in 8 months. Later, I developed interest in yoga and eventually, won medals in competitions. I was also teaching yoga to people. I had goals set and life was good until I met with an accident in 2016.

In the hospital, they sedated me and after returning home, by around midnight my belly started to swell and became hard as rock. I couldn’t sleep as it was painful. My parents took me to S.C.B. and as it was crowded, I had to lay on the ground. After waiting for hours, the doctor came and diagnosed me with an internal injury, being unsure of what it is. 

I got admitted to another hospital where they ran tests. I had high fever & my condition was deteriorating Doctors had lost hope on my survival. Later, with the help of my Uncle, a renowned cardiologist, we found the best doctor and flew to Hyderabad. I got admitted in the Global Hospital where the started my treatments on pancreatic injuries.

I underwent through numbers of surgeries. I had been given so many doses of anaesthesia earlier, that the surgeons feared injecting me with more, so I literally took the pain some of the holes being drilled into my belly. The drain out pipes weren’t enough for taking out the fluids so they had to inject it out. Not a single part of my body was unpricked by then.  

The prolonged hospitalisation led to PTSD. In this state, I flew back to home as the doctors suggested being around the family for speedy recovery (which did happen). But, some people stated theories like ‘You must have done wrong to others. Hence, the suffering’, ‘if you had fat tissues instead of the abs, it would have protected your pancreas’, ‘You will get diabetes soon’. Such things did shake me, but my doctor motivated me to be fearless.

People have been insensitive and cruel. Not paying heed to them is the best way out. My mother stayed up with me on those sleepless nights, didn’t have water and prayed all day. She made me realise that suffering isn't personal."

I am forever indebted to people who have prayed prayed for me and to those who pulled me down. They have helped me to face the challenges of life." - Akankhsya Mohapatra.