No godfather. No hand to hold. Just grit.
I built a life across Singapore and Japan. Bought my first home in 2011 during my transition from Singapore to Japan. Built success from scratch.
But when I returned to India in 2015, I was whispered about. Mocked. Questioned by my new colleagues from the company I joined in Nov 2015.
Because this society praises women—only if they hide behind a man’s shadow.
A woman who rises without a man? She becomes a threat. A target. A rumour.
I admired a man from Singapore in 2017—for his character.
But people dragged my name through the dirt. False rumours. Mockery.
And worse—harassment. Not once. Not twice. But multiple times.
Educated predators—sons of privilege, not values.
Even today, some men—cruel and hollow—spin filthy tales.
They say I went topless to impress them, that they loved me for my pants.
I wonder—were they born to a woman?
And if so, how do they find the venom to insult a woman’s dignity so easily,
to shame woman even when they’ve never been touched—like purity, character, or choice?
How cheap can men be ? And how much more cheaper their stories are ?
"She had God Fathers I had Grit"
"She was Honored for Clinging, I was Shamed for rising alone without a MAN"
In 2018 - As a single woman in the workplace, all I ever asked for was fair ground—to be allowed to work in areas where I had the expertise, or to be offered opportunities to grow in new areas without conditions attached.
But what was presented was growth opportunities with conditions attached. And when I stood my ground and said no, the narrative was rewritten. I was labeled as someone unwilling to upskill, resistant to change.
The right became a maximum. And I was made to fight for the minimum—not for weeks or months, but for years.
Growth opportunities should always be rooted in psychological safety. Today, when I see organizations proudly promoting their DEI policies, I’m often encouraged to consider them and sometimes i feel like going back to analytics delivery function ;
However, memories of what I experienced in 2018 give me pause. What if growth opportunities are offered with conditions ?
The 2018 sexual harassment at work place, an incident that shaped how I evaluate professional spaces—not through the lens of prestige or pay, but through the presence of respect and integrity.
"It was my silent war—fought without noise, but fierce in resolve.
A quiet rebellion that whispered with unwavering strength:
I will rise, I will run, I will go as far as my soul dares—
but never at the cost of being touched, tamed, or broken by a man".
I didn't come this far to seek their approval.
I didn’t build a life out of grief just to let their gossip define me.
I am not what they say. I am what I survived. What I built.
And what I continue to rise from—again and again.
If that makes them uncomfortable, let it.
I wasn’t born to fit in their story.
I’m here to write my own.
I will become the oar myself,
I will carve a way across the storm,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zam_Zam_(film)
I may be slow because iam walking alone, but i will get there—without shortcuts, without compromise.
I dance to the rhythm of my own heartbeat.
Embracing flaws, celebrating scars,
I am the author of my story.
A testament to resilience and grace.
In solitude, I discovered companionship within,
In stillness, the symphony of my spirit.
Song from the Movie Butterfly - The Kannada remake of the Bollywood movie - Queen !
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butterfly_(unreleased_film)
In the quiet corners of my soul,
I found a voice once silenced.
Through trials and tribulations,
I emerged, not unscathed, but stronger.
This is not just growth. This is transformation.
The new me—resilient, self-defined, and whole.
Song from the Movie Paris Paris - The Tamil remake of the Bollywood movie - Queen !
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris_Paris
The song motivates me.
Yet, I carve my path with unwavering resolve.
In a world that questioned my strength,
I rise, unshaken, defining my own destiny.
I have every right to make career shifts and change job functions to prioritize my safety and well-being. No one—especially in a society—has the authority to question my skills or label me as unqualified.
My choices are not a sign of weakness; they are acts of strength and self-respect.
Let no one mistake my boundaries for a lack of effort to upskill.
doubted, dismissed, or defined by someone else—
I’ve endured it quietly, not because I am weak,
but never at the cost of being touched, tamed, or domesticated by a man.
This war isn’t loud—but it’s real.
And every step I take forward,
every breath I hold steady,
is proof that I am winning.
I am not a cat chasing after rats.
I am the lion—fierce, grounded, and protective—the spirit of Maha Vishnu.
For only the one who knows how to protect herself has the true strength to protect the world.
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