Lt Col Ajit Bhandarkar Shaurya Chakra, has not only been a gallant army officer, but also a supportive husband and a loving father.
He had also encouraged me to upskill myself, whether it be car driving or cooking his favourite Gajjar halwa. He had empowered me and supported me in completing my B Ed training, while my dad was wondering why at all I had to study and take up any job! It was Ajit who explained to my conventional, orthodox and protective dad that women can be also contribute to the society , in their own way. After this there is no looking back for me in my career as an educator.
As the going gets tough they say the tough get going. That is how it has been for me for the past twenty one years , in the absence of their father for my kids, Nirbhay and Akshay . I had to don the role of both the father and the mother , while my role as an educator helped me , but then when the kids where in their teens..one can imagine my state of mind. I took up to part time Couselling training, more so to take care of my own adolescent boys, who were in their own world of peer pressure, trying hard to achieve their academic goals and also coping with the absence of a father, who would have been their confidante and best friend.
All said and done, Ajit has been their guiding spirit , giving them the direction to choose their path in life and move one inspite of his physical absence.
This year while Ajit and I, are in our 30th year of wedding anniversary, I look back to confess that it has been a divine union with a great soul and I am feeling blessed to have a selfless soulmate , Manav , as his school mates call him, who gave up his life for his motherland . I am sure Ajit is also happy to see his boys do well and have taken on his mantle of serving the Defence Forces of India.
Best wishes and stay safe.
Jai Hind
PS : This video and this blog is my first post, after learning the Google Tools for Educators, the upskilling is going on and is a lifelong process. Thanks to the pandemic, we educators have taken on to technology like fish to water. More power to Tech Educators!
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