“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.
“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.
{{/usCountry}}She continued to work hard over the next few years to finally get an offer from an airline to be the co-pilot.
{{/usCountry}}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:
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?
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