Prachi has always been drawn to the skies. She spent hours watching the skies and the planes that flew high. But her dreams were not limited to the sky alone, she dreamt of flying in space. She excelled not just in her academics but also in activities such as sports. She would spend her free time reading about Kalpana Chawla, and Sunita Williams drawing inspiration from her life and beyond. She would often imagine herself watching the Earth from space. she would paint pictures of her holding an Indian flag in space . But things weren't as easy as they seemed. Life placed her with a challenge that knew no bounds.
It was one of those breezy winter mornings. The dew drops shined like pearls on leaves. Prachi was walking down the street when she met with a grieving accident trying to save a pup. The next thing she remembered was the hospital bed where she lay. Her feet that stood high now lay motionless. She struggled to wake up. Her feet felt numb. She couldn't move a muscle. She watched a doctor having a word with her parents.
"What's the matter doctor, is everything fine?
"Mr Agarwal, How do I say! I am sorry to say, your daughter will never be able to walk.
The accident has injured her spine which has left her partially paralyzed.
Her parents could not believe what they heard. They wondered how to confess this to her.
For once life on feet, now confined to wheel chair. A dream once touched the zenith of skies now felt shattered. They saw Prachi in the wheelchair, in her room, watching the picture of Kalpana Chawla on one side, Sunita Williams on the other, and a model of a space shuttle placed on the table. They saw a twinkle in her eyes.
People mocked her situation, and her ability to dream of the skies,
"You can’t even run, how will you fly?” “Girls like you should aim lower.” But she refused to let her disability define her.
Prachi never let them affect her. Their words only fell like pearls that helped her grow.
From going to college to performing her daily activities, each day seemed a new challenge. But nothing could stop her. She would make efforts to lift herself and do small tasks on her own. She would sit among the trees, in the fresh breeze, meditate, while her parents accompanied her.
The setting sun painted the sky's hue. The chirping birds now started settling in their nesting homes.
"Maa, I will fly one day," said she pointing to the sky, as they strolled the park back home, the determination brimming her face for her dreams were beyond the circumstances. Her mother smiled with thoughts and confusion streaming through.
Time flew.
One day Prachi discovered a video of a young girl who fought through the odds to become the nation's heart. It was the story of Avani Lekhra a Paralympian. This was the turning point in her life. Her videos and tales of her resilience motivated Prachi to give new wings to her dreams with her parents being her strength.
A year passed.
Prachi enrolled in a prestigious university that framed a first step toward her dreams. The application process was rigorous, and the competition was fierce. People scoffed at her. "Even if you pass the exam, you’ll fail the physical test," they said.
But Prachi was relentless. With the help of therapists and motivating stories that she followed, she started training and strengthening upper-body coordination. This refined her coordination, though not fast on foot. But, this did not stop her. She was focused, steady, and determined. From the struggles to wake up, she stood up. Stood up and walked with the help of a cane. Her feet trembled as she set her foot on the floor for the first time in these years. Her joy knew no bounds, and so did her parents.
soon the day of the exam arrived. The written test was challenging and the farther more challenging were the interview and the physical tests. With the weight of doubts cast upon her, she felt the process intimidating. Yet, she moved on.
The day of the results arrived. Prachi was excited and nervous. With trembling hands, she opened her mail.
Tears rolled down her eyes as she read...
Prachi,
Congratulations! You are selected.
She finally earned the reward - a place in the most prestigious universities of Aeronautics.
Years later :
Back home, sitting on the couch was Prachi, watching herself on TV- A news that spoke about her latest space exploration and travel. Her friends, colleagues, and the kids looked upon her as an inspiration that soared high and as she walked down the same streets, she stopped by, the land looked above for Somewhere in that expanse was the girl who once whispered to the sky, daring to dream
~ Gayatri Rao
