She dons the hat of a Captain, YouTuber and mum with ease. Her story is winning the Internet

Ritu Rathee Taneja has shared her story throught the Humans of Bombay page and it’s leaving thousands feeling inspired.

Published on: Jun 25, 2020, 16:16:34 IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | By Amrita Kohli

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

“Feeling so empowered”, “such an inspiration” - these are just two examples of the kinds of comments shared on a recent post by Humans of Bombay. The pictures shared in the post show the woman they’re talking about. Chances are you already know her. She’s a successful pilot, an entertaining vlogger and a wife and a mum. She is Ritu Rathee Taneja and she has shared her story that’s leaving thousands feeling inspired.

Ritu Taneja is a successful pilot, an entertaining vlogger and a wife and a mum. (Instagram/@humansofbombay)

“It wasn’t easy being ambitious in a society where people thought, ‘Ladkiyan bojh hain’,” she says. And yet, she went ahead and chased her ambition of becoming a pilot, with her family supporting her.

In the post, she recalls how she applied to pilot training programs in the US after a friend’s suggestion and even got through. “I was ecstatic, but I knew papa was scared to send me alone. I told him, ‘Papa, spend the money you’d use for my wedding, on my training – I’ll make you proud’,” she says in the post. Despite resistance from some relatives, her parents agreed and she went ahead with her training.

Things didn’t become easy when she returned - she had her degree but couldn’t find a job. “Matters worsened when mom got a brain haemorrhage that year and passed away,” she adds.

She continued to work hard over the next few years to finally get an offer from an airline to be the co-pilot.

And the rest as they say is history. She goes on to talk about her becoming a Captain, meeting her husband, vlogging their journey, life as a mum and making her dad proud. For anyone looking for motivation to fight for their dreams, her story is a must read.

Take a look:

View this post on Instagram

"It wasn’t easy being ambitious in a society where people thought, ‘Ladkiyan bojh hain.’ Relatives thought I should get married before I got ‘too educated’. But my parents worked hard to send us to school, despite papa’s only income being the money he earned as a contractor. I was a skilled bike rider too, so when a friend suggested I become a pilot, it appealed to me. So I applied to programs in the US & 8 months in, I heard back. I was ecstatic, but I knew papa was scared to send me alone. I told him, ‘Papa, spend the money you’d use for my wedding, on my training–I’ll make you proud.’ He agreed, but our relatives said, ‘She’ll go abroad & do things with boys, get her married before she’s fully ruined’. We turned a blind eye to them & I was off on my first flight ever, knowing that it’d be the first of many flights to come. I trained for 1.5 years & went home after. But I struggled to get a job since there were no vacancies. Relatives said to papa, ‘We told you this would happen’. Matters worsened when mom got a haemorrhage & passed away. Dad was miserable–he’d cry all the time & barely slept. We were surviving on loans & I knew I had to step up–so over the next 2 years, I did a side job, studied for 7 hours a day & barely slept to ace my applications. Finally, I got an offer from an airline to be the co-pilot! I was elated–we celebrated with my favourite burger & cold coffee. Then papa & I went to the temple to pray. For the next 4 years, I flew about 60 flights a month & was eventually promoted to Captain. Sitting on the Captain’s seat was my ‘Apna time aa gaya’ moment. During this time, I met my husband who’s also a pilot. We’ve grown into a happy family with our 2 year old daughter–we even vlog our journey of being a hustling couple! I’ve gone from feeling guilty about spending on a movie & snack to being a Captain whilst raising our daughter. It’s no cakewalk, but we’re still doing it. And I know I’ve made papa proud when I hear him tell the same relatives, ‘Meri beti Captain hai!’ But what makes me proudest is that I’m not even just that–I’m a Captain, a vlogger, a wife & a mom. And I won’t allow anyone to set limits on what I can be."

A post shared by Humans of Bombay (@officialhumansofbombay) on Jun 24, 2020 at 5:40am PDT

The post, since being shared some 21 hours ago, has collected a whopping 1.3 lakh likes - and counting. On Facebook, it has collected over 18,000 reactions and more than 900 shares. People have dropped a ton of comments about the post and the story it details.

“This is by far the best story I have read ...more power to you girl... god bless you,” writes an individual. “Literally the best pilot family!” posts another. “She is amazing and so is Kairaa topaa,” shares an Instagram user who definitely follows this family on YouTube. “Hayyy Ram, beautiful story! You and your husband have become a household phenomenon now,” posts another fan.

What do you think about this story?

Also Read | They danced their way into our hearts. Their love story is as amazing

Discover the latest Trending News, viral videos, social media stories and unusual events from India and around the world. Stay updated with the topics everyone is talking about.